Sewing Basket
by NintendoGal55
Summary: AzureNintendo production. A sweet little "what if?" taking place when Sally gives Jack the sewing basket full of goodies. Who would've thought that maybe, a lot of love and fluff could ensue that night!


**Azure129: Lol, hi everyone! Don't you just love random rpgs : 333 Well, we do and that's why we do these things XD Plus, Jack and Sally are extra super cute! ^w^ We hope you like this, and both potential sequels that come out of it! Thank you!**

**NintendoGal55: A crazy one-shot by two crazy girls. :D A silly thing of what COULD have happened during the night Sally gave Jack the basket of goodies. ;)**

**There will be TWO sequels after this! :D But they both take place during different situations. Stay tuned for them. They are both "What if?" sequels, just like this story. ;)**

* * *

><p>"There must be a logical way to explain this Christmas thing..." Jack mumbled to himself yet again on this evening as he continued to try and puzzling his way into an explanation of the warmth and brightness and happiness of Christmas. And yet no matter how hard he tried...the essence of what he was searching for always seemed to elude him. It was so frustrating. He had found what he was looking for...but it was like he just coudn't grasp it. After all...Christmas HAD to be what he was looking for in his life...right? '<em>Of course...<em>' he assured himself with a nod. And yet...a melancholy thought couldn't help popping into his head at this point in his evening of fruitless thinking. '_Maybe... Maybe I never will understand the joy of Christmas... and all of the love it brings..._' He sighed to himself.

_Tap Tap_

Jack blinked at the sound meeting his ears and then looked over at the window where it had appeared to come from. Something was...out there? He approached the window curiously and opened it up. '_A...basket?_' He blinked several times and glanced down... '_Sally_?' He smiled, unable to help it. He hadn't seen her much in a little while... And what oh what had his little friend brought him?

Sally stood down below, holding the rope that had lifted the little basket of goods up to his window. Earlier on, she had decided to give him a little something to show she cared, and to take his mind off things, since she could sense he was quite troubled, since he hadn't been out since he introduced Christmas to everyone when he returned to town. So, she prepared a few things, as well as a drink with a cute little trick she hoped he would like, and placed it all into her sewing basket.

She had broken out through her window this time, having snuck the key to the window in order to open it. With no other way out, she had to jump out the window after gently lowering the basket with thread and her sewing machine. All but one of her arms had gotten severed on the impact, but it was an easy feat to sew herself back together and make her way to Jack's home. She'd raised up the basket and managed to tap on his window, hoping he would see it.

When she saw him looking out and down at her, that confirmed it. When he waved at her, Sally felt as if her stuffing would burst at the seams!

When he disappeared from view, and assured that the basket was in his hands, she let go of the rope and then quickly hurried off through the gate.

Jack held the lovely basket full of so many strange things in his hands now. Of course he hadn't meant to take something like this without thanking her first, but he had felt a small pang of guilt at seeing her having to hoist this heavy little load all the way up here and so his first thought had been to relieve her of that burden immediately. He touched a few of the items in the basket, though the first thing his eye sockets really fell on was a large blue corked bottle. '_Hmm..._' He picked it up and opened it and almost gasped. A delicate apparition of a butterfly in iridescent smoke appeared before him, gently fluttered its wings and then disappeared into the cold air of the winter's night. It was beautiful...and almost in the way Christmas was beautiful, no less! Delicate and sweet and graceful and nice... '_But then again, of anyone in this town... who else to expect something like that from than Sally, I suppose..._'

The happy thought passed through his mind as a delighted Jack corked the bottle and went for the window again, fully prepared to give Sally the most gracious thank you he could and then to invite her up out of the cold. '_Poor thing-it's chilly enough to freeze the dead tonight.._.' Jack leaned out of the window and looked down, his mouth half opened in speech...but then he paused.

She was...gone. Only the rope she had used to hoist up the basket remained.

Jack felt puzzled...and also disappointed. Why wouldn't she want to stay to at least let him say thank you? He blinked, a thought occurring to him. '_Perhaps I offended her by not saying thank you in the first place ..._' He almost gasped at the idea and felt so rude all of a sudden for taking those few seconds to move away from the window and explore her gift just now. Instantly Jack placed Sally's gift to the side and headed over the stairs to descend.

"Zero," he let his dog know over his shoulder, "I'm stepping out for a moment. Don't worry, I'll be right back..."

And with that Jack headed down to do his best to find Sally... '_After all, she couldn't have gotten far..._' he assured himself as he opened his front door and stepped out into the brisk night.

Even though Sally couldn't exactly feel pain or much of anything, the brisk, cool night was a bit tough on her. She hugged herself a bit, leaning against the wall not far from the gate leading to his home. While she wanted to stick around to say hello...she chickened out. Even a part of her wanted to use this gesture to tell him she loved him... But again, chickened out. Any attempt she'd made and it always ended the same way.

After all, she also didn't want to bother him more than she did. Offer the goodies, and then leave, so that she wouldn't burden his studies with her presence.

She sighed then, still walking on a bit, hugging herself as she looked up at the starry sky. She then began to sing, softly, along with the harmonious music of the band playing nearby.

"_Why can't I just be brave?  
>Anytime I try, I just run<br>Scared as I may be  
>What we would have could be so fun<em>

_At times I wonder why  
>But in all it gives me strength<br>Helps ease my days and nights a great length  
>Does he notice my feelings for him?<em>

_And will he see  
>How much he means to me?<br>I think it's not to be...  
>Although I'd like to show him I care<em>

_Try as I may  
>It never works<br>If only it were not so hard to say  
><em>

_And will we ever  
>End up together?<br>No, I think not  
>It's never to become<em>

_For am I not...the one..._"

Singing? Jack could hear...singing? But it sounded like it was coming from a different direction than the one in which he had headed in search of Sally. He couldn't make out the words but the tone of the voice definitely sounded female...Perhaps...Sally? He had never heard her sing before...He didn't even know she could? If it was her though, even from this far away...her voice was...beautiful. Jack couldn't let go of this thought as he raced in the direction of the haunting music, seeing the town band not too far off. Perhaps they had seen her, or at least whoever had been singing? Jack paused before them upon reaching them and gave a smile and a small bow. "Good evening, gentlemen. Erm...have any of you seen Sally or whoever was singing just now?" he asked, hoping the question didn't sound too silly.

The saxophone player just looked at him and then shifted his head to gesture down and behind the wall against which the bandplayers were resting. "One and the same is right behind there, bone daddy..." he replied, looking back to Jack. "And I think she's looking for you too..." He said no more, putting his mouth to the reed of his sax and starting to play a quiet tune.

Jack blinked and hesitated for a moment. Looking for him too? But...that didn't make any sense. She had just run away from him... Still though perhaps it was just a joke or something from the spooky saxophonist, or he had misunderstood. Either way, Jack now knew where Sally was...and also that she could sing. He smiled and nodded at the band. "Thank you. Have a good night, fellas." He gave them a wave and then slowly crept behind and walked up the length of the wall, not wanting to surprise or startle her as he came upon her.

Sally hugged herself again and shivered a bit, feeling quite a bit cold. Maybe I should have made something warm to wear... Caught up in her thoughts and still trying to keep warm, she didn't quite notice that she was being pursued...

Jack paused the instant he caught sight of her. She was sitting down on the damp ground against the old wall, holding herself...shivering! A very deep frown instantly came to his face. No, no, no, this wouldn't do at all-even if she was upset with him or something he was going to insist on her coming back to his home to warm up by the fire and with some tea, and he simply would not take no for an answer. Letting out a breath he cleared his throat and prepared to make his presence know. "Sally...?" he whispered quielty, doing his best to turn his frown into a welcoming smile down at her.

Sally gasped and looked up with shock, and then stood up. "Jack! ...W-What...what are you doing out here...?"

Jack did his best not to chuckle at her slight fluster, not wanting to upset her. "I...was looking for you, actually. You never let me thank you at the window before..." He frowned a tiny bit. "I'm sorry I didn't say it right away but I thought I should take in the basket first so you wouldn't have to hold it up, and then I got distracted by its contents a little...but I really am sorry for my delayed response, Sally." He smiled again. "It really was a lovely gesture for you to give me all of that. Thank you." He gave her a small, graceful bow.

"Oh..." Sally was touched at his sentiment, and found herself smiling a bit too dreamily at him. She stepped a little closer. "Jack...I...I'm not upset about that...not at all...I...I just...d-didn't want to bother you..."

Jack looked at her curiously. "Bother me?" He smiled again. "Sally, you're my friend...you could never bother me. And on top of that you brought me a lovely gift tonight...What could be bothersome about that? Although, actually..." a bit of his former frown returned. "I suppose there is one thing that bothers me a little..." He looked at her with a touch of sadness in his eye sockets.

Her heart, if she had once, wrenched. Shyness pushed aside, she approached him a bit closer. "...What is it, Jack?" Sally looked very concerned, and a bit sad herself. It was strange, at times when he was sad and bothered, she felt the same, especially seeing him this way.

Seeing that little frown suddenly come to her face at his words made Jack feel even guiltier and sadder than he had felt before. Here she was, sad, alone, wet, cold, possibly hungry...and all to make him happy? All for his obsession with Christmas... Nothing about this whole Christmas thing had seemed wrong to him in even the slightest possible way until right now. He let out a small sigh and responded to her with everything that he was thinking. "You're out here all alone in the damp and the cold, and all on my account. I feel so awful about that, Sally. Please come back to my house for a little while to have some tea with me and warm yourself up." He smiled, hoping very much she would accept, and added, "I'll even walk you home when we're done, if you'd like." He bowed his head a little.

Sally would have blushed if she could, and was about to politely refuse, but could just see how much this bothered him. And likely...he wouldn't take no for an answer. Part of her feared being out so long, long enough for Dr. Finkelstein to find out...but the majority of her felt heartbroken at making him so sad and bothered. All because of what she was doing now. She wanted to hug him, assure that she was all right, and just spend forever with him...

"I...I...I appreciate your concern, Jack...I'm sorry I worried you." She said softly, looking down at the ground. "I...I...All right, I'll come back with you..." She'd made it this far, and wanted at least a little more time of happiness before going back to her prison.

Jack beamed inside. "Splendid! Let's go..." He took her hand and began to lead her along with him. "My house is this way from here...Oh, but...I guess you already know that since you ran this way from there." He chuckled a little. "Sorry, Sally, part of me can't help but still think of you as new to this place...I forget how familiar you must have already become with it after all of these months." He smiled more at her.

"That's all right, Jack...I understand..." Sally murmured, and felt herself melt in bliss as he held her hand. She fought the urge to snuggle up against him, like she had done one time she snuck out and they went for a nightly walk... Although, he didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he welcomed it. ...But would he welcome it again?

Jack was still glancing at her and he noticed her smiling a lot more all of a sudden...like she was thinking about something very happy. It was nice seeing her like that. She was so sweet-who wouldn't love to see her smile? "Sally?" he asked quietly, a thought occurring to him as he continued to observe her in her nice little patchwork dress.

Snapping from her thoughts, Sally looked over at him with a sweet but nervously sheepish smile, as if waiting for a scolding. "Yes...?"

A small sigh escaped Jack. "It's the middle of winter. You really ought to have a coat out here...Even the walking dead can catch colds..." And then he stopped their progress forward for a moment and released her hand...only to bring both of his to the few low buttons on his jacket and undo them. "Here..." He slipped the coat from his arms, leaving him wearing just his dapper long sleeve white dress shirt and cute little bat bowtie, and then gently placed the garment around Sally's shoulders. "It's a little too thin for you to slip on until we get to my house, but it can at least cover you a little. After all, I would never forgive myself if you caught cold." He smiled down at her and took her hand again and proceed to once more slowly lead them on back to his house.

Sally let out a tiny gasp of surprise at his chivalrous gesture. Then again, that was something to expect since he was such a gentleman, but she loved that about him. She would have blushed if she could. He had just given her his pinstripe jacket...to keep her warm...and... It smelled like him... She let out a dreamy sigh, unable to help leaning a bit closer to him. She did feel a bit warmer, and especially so entranced with his scent, that she forgot all about being cold. "Oh _Jack_...thank you..." She murmured lovingly.

She was leaning against him and they way she had just spoken to him...Jack's eye sockets went wide and he...actually gulped. He had no idea why, he just...it...He did his best to take a breath. "Y-You're...You're welcome, S-Sally..." His voice cracked just the tiniest bit at her name and it made his eye sockets fly open wide once more. What had THAT been about? He shook his head trying to clear it as they came in sight of the walk up to his house. "I-It's the least I could do of course..." he added shyly with a humble smile. She really could be just so sweet sometimes...Sweet Sally. He liked calling her that. The idea of it made him smile a little more. And then he asked, barely realizing the words had left his mouth, "Do you sing, my sweet Sally?"

Sally's eyes shot open. Had he called her 'my sweet Sally'? His sweet Sally? A short breath escaped her, but she remained against him a little, unable to move away. "Um...I...um...s-sometimes..." _Oh no, he didn't hear me sing just a couple minutes ago, did he?_

Jack smiled more, finding himself resting against her just a little bit now as well. "I thought that might have been you...I was too far away to make out the words but I heard such beautiful tones...What a lovely voice you have, Sally. I like to sing too but...I never knew of anyone else around here who liked singing as well. I'm very happy I found out your secret..." He did his best not to chuckle and at the word secret he couldn't help but give her hand a little squeeze.

His actions of leaning against her as well, which surprised her, and squeezing her hand made her all but swoon softly. Sally managed to regain herself to answer him, despite that she was just about in a state of wonderful euphoria. "Oh... Thank you, Jack... I appreciate it." She had heard him sing too before, and could never get that angelic voice out of her head. Especially since that moment she overheard him meant so much to her, as it strengthened their connection and just made her fall more in love with him...if that was possible. "I guess...now it's our little secret..."

Jack actually chuckled a little at that playful response from her. "Exactly..." He winked at her and then gently pushed open the gate to his house, which they had just reached, and swung it open. He bent low, still holding her hand, and gestured forward. "Ladies first, of course..." He smiled up at her.

A pang of disappointment coursed through her, but it was impossible not to smile at his gentlemanly mannerisms. "Thank you, Jack..." She went through the gate, keeping a gentle but still firm hold of his hand, as if afraid to let go.

Feeling her hold on his hand tighten and with no inclination on his own part for letting hers go, Jack pushed the gate shut behind them with his free hand and resumed walking close beside her as they made their way up the drive. "So, if you don't mind my asking, Sally...what were you singing so sweetly about before?" He looked at her with a touch of curiosity in his smile.

Uh-oh. She was not expecting that question. Especially since her little song was all about how much she wanted to tell him she loved him...but was afraid to. What was she going to do now? She would never lie to him, and could never bring herself to do so. And hiding information was just about the same as lying. She felt her heart shatter, if she had one.

But then again...this was almost perfect, wasn't it? Maybe now was a great time to just be honest and let it all out on the table. Whatever he felt toward her, she would accept, even if he didn't reciprocate. She loved him far too much to force anything on him he wasn't ready for, or didn't want.

Sally turned to him, and exhaled as she then held his hand in both of hers, shaking a bit, but not from the cold. She looked up at him, and gathered up her courage.

"Jack, I...I was singing about...how much I lo-"

"Arf! Arf!" Zero came out the front door, or rather, through the front door as he barked happily in greeting. Especially at seeing Sally again, who he really liked.

"Zero!" Jack couldn't help but smile in welcome at the little dog. He reached out his free hand and scratched behind his ghostly ears a little. "See boy, I told you I'd be back soon...And look, I brought our special friend Sally..." Saying her name reminded him that Sally had just been in the middle of speaking and he looked to her again with a smile. "I'm sorry, Sally, what were you saying again? You were singing about...?" He let the sentence hang, not able to remember the rest of the words she had started with in explanation.

"Um...I...I was singing about..." Sally felt all of her courage go down the drain, and just...lied. She hated herself for it now. Why couldn't she be honest? "...How much I missed you." Okay, that wasn't too far from the truth, but still vague.

Jack blinked and turned his head to the side in curiosity. "Missed me? But...why would you miss me? I'm right here." He chuckled, bringing up his free hand to gently brush aside a stray piece of her yarn hair. And then a much bigger fact hit him and his eye sockets went a little wide. "You were singing about...me...?" He had never...known anyone to sing about him before. At least outside of the 'Praise the Pumpkin King for, lo, it is Halloween again!' way. He had never even sung about anyone else before.

"...Yes..." Sally confessed, and felt her breath catch in her throat at his sweet action. "I mean...I know you are...but I missed seeing you...spending time with you...it's been a while...that's all. And I...yes...I was. D-Does that bother you...?"

Jack just swallowed and shook his head, his eye sockets still a little wide. "N-No...not at all..." he replied quietly and sincerely. "I...I've missed you too, my Sally..." This might have seemed...like the strangest thing in the world but...for some reason he...couldn't stop looking at her and he...couldn't let her hand go and he couldn't...move away. He just spoke more as he tried to figure out what was going on with him. "I like you..." popped out of him then.

Now Sally felt as if something within her was skipping a beat. All that he said just now, calling her 'his' Sally, and that he liked her. Yes, she knew he did like her, she was his friend and he'd made it clear, but like this? She actually took another step closer to him. "I...I like you too..." This was probably the closest to a confession of her love for him as she was going to get.

She liked him too! Jack knew she liked him of course-she was his friend. But...hearing her say that...in her sweet voice...right to him, and right after he had said it first. It made something absolutely euphoric go off inside of him. It was almost better than Christmas. '_Christmas...?_' Well, that was strange...He had been obsessed with Christmas ever since his return from Christmas town and yet...for this entire walk he hadn't had a single thought about it...and yet he had still been happy! '_Odd..._' was all he could think to himself. "W-We should, um...go get some of that tea now, I suppose." He did his best to smile and pull himself a bit out of this strange state with her he was stuck in though it wasn't easy.

The euphoria was gone and her hopes were shattered yet again. But, she composed herself and smiled, nodding. "Yes, of course..."

Something about the moment broke a little and Jack felt like he could breathe again. He nodded. "Very well. Let's head inside then and warm you up a little. I've got some blankets you can use as well. We'll sit together on the couch by the fireplace and have our tea and talk more. Would you like that?" He smiled hopefully at her.

Would she ever! It made her want to dance! The idea of sitting with him on the couch, with a fire going, wrapped in a blanket, drinking tea, and even...hopefully...getting closer and closer and snuggling...was all but heavenly to her. "S-Sure...I would like that..." She said shyly.

Jack saw something of that sweet little smile come back to her face and it made him smile more too. He led her inside and gently closed the door behind him. "Well you deserve that and so much more for your kind gift and efforts." He led them upstairs with Zero following behind.

"Arf!" Zero barked in agreement.

Sally would've blushed if she could and seemed to find the stairs below them very interesting. "Aww...well I...it was nothing, really...I just wanted to give you something nice...that's all..."

Jack glanced down at her shyly turned away face, smiling more. "Well, it really was very nice...just like the lovely person who sent it to me...Oh!" As a consequence of not looking forward as they ascended, Jack tripped a little upon the last step, and on instinct was forced to cling to Sally with both arms in an effort not to fall. He blinked several times, catching his breath from the small intense moment. "O-Oh...sorry, Sally," he quickly apologized with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"It's all right, Jack..." Sally was in a bit of a euphoric state to care. Of course she was glad he didn't fall or get hurt (if he was able to feel pain) all the same, but the fact he was now holding her this close was heavenly. It was when she also took full notice of the fact he had taken off his jacket. She'd never seen him like this, and she liked it...

Jack looked at Sally curiously, raising part of his brow. She was smiling...very much. And her eyes sort of looked...Huh, well, come to think of it he had never looked into her eyes really. They were...rather large, angled a little...with eyelashes...long eyelashes. '_Dr. Finkelstein...really did do a beautiful job on her.._.' he couldn' help but think to himself then. "A-Alright then..." he replied quietly, and then asked with curiosity, "Sally...are you okay?" He still hadn't let her go, in fact having almost forgotten that he was clinging to her a little.

"Mm? Oh...yes, I'm fine." Sally responded in a bit of a lovesick way, a dreamy sigh escaping her. _Please don't let me go, Jack...I would stay here in in your arms for all time if I could..._ Despite it was more of a cling of safety, she just couldn't help but get lost in their closeness, and feel as if all her troubles melted away...

Jack blinked, his smile wavering for a moment in growing curiosity. It was just...the way she was speaking to him now...the tone in her voice...and that little sigh. He tried to place how she seemed right now, a name for the emotion or disposition, but none came right away. And then something small flashed into his mind and if his bones hadn't already been ivory white they would have blanched at the notion. Right now she almost reminded him a little of...one of his fangirls...A much, much, MUCH less clingy and intense and starstruck version of one of his fangirls...but there was something fangirlish in there nonetheless. Jack tried to find a way to make sense of that assessment of things and then had to blink as a new thought came to his mind. '_Perhaps...Perhaps she has become a fan...but of somebody else…_' That would explain why she was acting as strangely as she was right now, and yet in an almost reserved way. Still though, really…His sweet, innocent, humble Sally who spent all of her time tending to Dr. Finkelstein so diligently…finding someone else to dedicate her time to as well? He almost couldn't…maybe even didn't want to…imagine it…At the very least, if he was right, Jack just hoped whoever this person might be, they were a decent sort of citizen.

"Sally…" he finally spoke up again now, gently shifting from her and leading her up the last step or two to the main floor of his observatory house. "Is something on your mind? If you have anything you'd ever like to talk about…you must know I'm always here to listen, both as the Pumpkin King and as your friend Jack." He smiled at her, hoping she would take him up on the offer. He…really was getting quite curious about her now.

Yet another pang of disappointment flew through her at the loss of contact, and was also quite taken aback at his question. "Um...! Well I...n-no, nothing's on my mind, Jack... It's just..." Sally felt as if she would be blushing if she was able to, and looked away shyly. "I just...really...like hugging a friend, that's all. I don't hug anyone at all, really...but it's a very nice feeling. I suppose I was a little taken aback." Once again, it was close to the truth, but vague.

Jack blinked and then smiled. And then his eye sockets went a little half lidded. "Oh Sally...That's perfectly understandable." And then he closed his eye sockets and embraced her fully and warmly, wrapping his long arms around her and pulling her in close with a smile. "I enjoy hugging too..." he whispered quietly into her ear.

A soft gasp escaped Sally at his embrace, but she immediately melted and embraced right back. Oh! His whispering into her ear, it sent shivers up her spine... She sighed dreamily, and snuggled a bit into him, Halloween Heaven descending upon them! The rest of the world ceased to exist all around them.

Jack's eye sockets flew open and he stiffened a little for a moment. He had wanted to hug her just to show her that there was nothing to feel funny about with wanting to embrace a friend...but he hadn't expected her to hug him back like this! Her soft cloth arms wrapped around his bony chest, his dress shirt his only article of upper clothing at the moment. He let out a breath, a little...tremor going up his spine...which her fingers were softly pressing against, by the way. And his own bony fingers were resting against her hair, he realized..._ 'I-If Sally does...care for someone...he'll...certainly be getting a good hugger_.'

Jack gulped: on top of everything else he had never embraced someone and had them embrace back at the same time. It made him feel...good. "Sally..." he started to stroke her hair a tiny bit as he spoke quietly into her ear, "I'm...very happy you enjoy hugging too... No one else really does in town...except for me. That's why I want to bring Christmas to them, actually. Everyone in Christmas Town likes hugging...smiling...kissing..." He was smiling more and more as he spoke. "I just want us to be happy...together..." He let his eyes close a little again...And part of his mind meant that he wanted them 'all' to be happy together-the whole town. Thought another part of his mind had worded things without the 'all' for a reason, whether he was aware of it or not.

Sally felt her nonexistent heart skip a beat, and felt as if his words struck a chord. Had he really said that? Happiness soared through her as she gently tightened her grip on him. While she was a little apprehensive about this new Holiday, especially since it made him a little...caught up in it, but she could see what he was saying. Christmas was, even so, filled with joy. "I understand, Jack... I want the same thing..." She murmured.

Jack let out such a happy, content sigh...She wanted the same thing...She always seemed to want and like a lot of things he wanted and liked...It was nice to have a kindred spirit. And she was holding him so very snugly. Just like people held each other in Christmas Town. He smiled brightly! And he held her extra snugly too! "You always understand me, Sally. When I first saw Christmas Town...the first person I thought of sharing it with was you. The feeling I get there...reminds me of the feeling I get when I'm with you..." He nestled his skull against her soft yarn hair.

Sally beamed! He felt she understood him! She really liked to think she did, since they did talk like two regular people having a chat, and when she heard his lament last Halloween, she felt she really understood him then...and could understand how he felt. Then to hear that he wanted to share the wondrous joy of Christmas Town with her? Did he really? And the feeling he felt...reminded him of being with her?

Sally felt so much happier then...she wanted to melt, she wanted to just scream to the sky about her love! And now the feel of his skull nestling against her hair... She was in euphoria all over again.

She snuggled more into him, deeply touched. "Really, Jack? ...I...I... That's...the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. ...I wish I could have seen it with you."

Jack sighed blissfully. "I'll take you there one day, my Sally. I promise." And then he gave her a final tight hug, gave a small kiss to the top of her head and finally released her, looking about as warm and happy as he had ever been. "Come...let's sit by the fire now..." And then he gently lead her over to the couch and they sat down together.

Dazed and completely lovesick, especially at his sweet little gesture, Sally just followed along without a word. The sweet, lovesick smile was plastered on her face and showed no signs of fading, while her eyes grew half-lidded.

The warmth of the fire soothed her, and then she realized she still had his jacket!

Embarrassed, she took it, trying not to linger too much, and held it to him. "Here you go..."

Jack blinked, almost having entirely forgotten about his jacket. Actually though...even in just his dress shirt he was...rather warm at the moment, which was strange for him and especially on a winter night. He took the little garment but only laid it against the back of the couch. "Thank you, Sally..." he nodded at her with a smile, then added, "Oh and, let me get you a blanket. And I'll put on the tea as well." He stood up, gave her a small bow, and then walked over to the fire and put the full teapot on a plate over it to warm it up, and then moved across the room to his bedroom door, which he entered entirely, leaving Sally's sight for a moment.

Unable to help herself, Sally took his jacket again and snuggled it for a moment, taking in his scent and sighing dreamily. _Jack...you're the most wonderful person I know... _She then placed it back where it was, and sat up in a "quick innocent" position just as Jack came back into view again.

Jack returned from his room with a large, black blanket covered with images of spiders and jack-o-lanterns. He sat back down on the couch beside her, gently laying the blanket over her before doing so. "I'm sorry but the only warm blanket I had clean was the one from my bed. I hope that's alright?" he asked with a smile, sitting back on the couch and observing his handiwork: Sally all wrapped up and warm and safe on his couch. He liked her like that.

"It's perfectly fine, Jack...no problem at all." Sally could not believe her luck. She was actually wrapped up in a blanket right from his bed! His scent was strong on this one too, along with the scent of..mint. She liked it. "Thank you..." She felt so warm, so cozy... If only they could do this every night...

Jack chuckled a tiny bit to himself at the sight of her snuggling into his blanket. "You certainly are affectionate, aren't you, Sally?" he couldn't help but observe with an amused little grin, resting his skull on one of his hands, his elbow propped up against the back of the couch.

Sally's eyes widened and she looked away shyly. Was she really that affectionate? She knew she was kind and didn't exactly have an easy time scaring anybody... But to hear that right from someone she trusted so much and cared about made her feel...so modest and shy, but touched. "...You think so, Jack...?" She murmured softly.

Jack nodded, his smile picking up a little on one side. "Of course...You like hugs, you always smile, you seem to adore warm and nice and cozy things, you're sentimental and sweet...You're the most affectionate girl I've ever met..." he admitted...almost a touch shyly at the end there.

Snuggling more into the blanket, she looked down at her lap shyly, giggling a bit. "...Thank you, Jack...you're very sweet. ...You're the sweetest man I've ever met."

Jack's eye sockets went fully wide and his breath hitched in his throat. '_S-Sweetest...m-man...she's ever..._' He blinked several times, unsure of what to say. Nobody had ever complimented him in that way before. Usually people just went on and on about his scariness, which was nice but...sometimes felt a little superficial. But she had just called him sweet. A-And also...though he wasn't sure why this one was getting to him so much...she had called him a man as well. He gulped. "Th-Th-Thank you, S-Sally..." he said back in a touch of a fluster, straightening his bat bowtie a little in his nervousness. "N-No one's ever said that about me before..." he tacked on shyly.

"...No?" Sally was genuinely surprised by that. Why hadn't anyone said that? Did none of his fangirls notice how gentlemanly, kind and so sweet he was? "...Well...maybe it's about time someone did..." This time she managed to look over at him, shyly.

Jack smiled even more, still looking downward a little bashfully. "S-Sally..." he felt so funny inside... So very very funny...like a young, nervous child really. Once again he was reminded of Christmas Town, all those little children laughing and happy. Children sounded nice-he wished there could be more of them in Halloween Town...

Scooting a little closer, keeping the blanket wrapped snugly around herself, Sally looked at him fully with a smile. "Yes, Jack...?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him unintentionally.

Jack just barely caught movement and his eye sockets traveled up in time to see Sally's eyelashes actually...fluttering at him. It brought his attention to her eyes again. They really were just... '_Wow.._.' And especially when she smiled. "I-I...I don't know, I just...You flatter me, Sally...i-in ways I'm not used to being flattered. It's a lot for a guy to take in..." He shrugged a little, looking shyly downward again.

Once again, Sally was very puzzled. For all the fangirls he had...no one said things like that? She didn't understand it at all. Granted, she had a million nice things to say about him, but being so shy...she didn't spill them all out at once. She didn't want overwhelm the poor guy! Nor did she want to come off as a shallow fangirl. "I'm sorry, Jack...is it making you uncomfortable?" She asked softly.

Jack had to chuckle a little at that silly question. He shook his skull, allowing his eye sockets to meet her eyes again. "N-No...I...quite like it, actually...I suppose that seems a little self-centered though-enjoying compliments from a pretty lady that much. And here I am always telling you that all that fuss everyone makes about me being the Pumpkin King overwhelms me half the time." He chuckled a little. "I must seem so silly to you sometimes, my Sally."

"No...not at all." Sally said honestly, and scooted closer again. "I can understand you would appreciate...flattery in regards to other aspects of yourself as well."

Jack's smile picked up even more if that was possible. "Thank you, Sally...I'm...happy you understand..." He looked at her warmly. "Sally...I have a favor to ask you, if you wouldn't mind obliging me?" He looked at her a little sheepishly.

Sally beamed, nodding her head. Jack had a favour to ask of her! She felt so happy, so humbled that he would want her to oblige in a request... "Of course, Jack. Anything." She said sweetly. She would do _anything_ he asked...

Jack chuckled warmly at her enthusiasm. Then he asked tenderly, "Well..you've...gotten the chance to flatter me so much this evening...and I know you're usually shy but...I was wondering if you'd let me flatter you a little...just to make us even of course?" He looked at her with hope glittering in his eye sockets.

Sally's eager look melted into a look of surprise and confusion. Had she heard him right? He wanted to flatter her now? To make it even? Well, he DID have a habit of complimenting and flattering her just about every time they saw each other... What would make this any different? Still, she could already feel the bashful metaphoric blushes coming. But she just couldn't say no. Especially not to his expressive eye sockets looking at her hopefully.

"Um...well I...I don't see the harm in letting you..." She said softly.

Jack's grin grew to its utmost. "Well then...not to go beyond my place but...I have to say, Miss Sally, that when Dr. Finkelstein made you...he certainly did a...beautiful job on your eyes...They're so expressive, distinct, large, colorful...with those eyelashes to set them off even more. And they're angled so...exotically. And they're...hard to look away from once you start looking into them..." This entire time he had not taken his eye sockets off of her eyes, not for a moment.

This made Sally very touched and taken aback. She always felt her eyes were huge and took up too much of her face, and felt they could've been a little smaller. But then again, at the same time, they did suit her in how she wanted to express herself. She could live with them. But now to hear how...nice they were from a different perspective, especially from someone she trusted, and who was so genuine about it...really just touched her heart. "Well I...thank you..." She looked at him very fondly.

Jack let out a happy sigh, relieved that she hadn't scurried off in shyness or something at his words. "You're very welcome," he replied with a nod, eyes still locked onto hers. "And I really do like them...very much..." Something in his smile went a tiny bit goofy and his eye sockets started to go half lidded, and he didn't even realize it.

Sally looked down a bit shyly, playing with some of her hair. "That's nice you like them..." She wanted to throw in that she loved his eye sockets, how deep and expressive and vivid they were, even though he didn't have actual eyes, but decided to save that for later...

Jack chuckle a little and added, unable to help himself. "Your hair is quite attractive too, Sally. Yarn...It's so soft. And the color...I like the color. I've never seen anyone with hair of such a rich red before." He sighed. "I don't know how everyone doesn't flatter you all the time about things like this...but I guess it's because sometimes they can get a little too distracted with scariness to notice...a softer sort of beauty too much."

Sally wanted to say that it was because she was isolated and unless she snuck out after slipping Deadly Nightshade to the doctor, she couldn't go out. It was no wonder no one noticed her. "I don't go out very much...so I guess no one really notices..."

Jack frowned a tiny bit...seemed to think for a moment...but then smiled again...and reached out a hand to touch one of her own. "I see...Well, I know you're shy and busy quite often, Sally, but...I do wish you could get out a little more. So...how about you and I make plans to go out together sometimes? That way you would always have a friend beside you no matter where you went, and I would have the always pleasant company of a lady. Would you like that?" A touch of that hope glittered in his eye sockets again.

This made Sally's eyes widen and a small gasp escape her. She felt really warm all of a sudden...and not just from the blanket and fire. And the feel of his hand touching hers only added to it... "I...I would love that, Jack..." She almost blurted that the doctor never let her out, but decided not to burden him with that. "Please..." Was about as close as she could get. Her eyes clearly saying _"Get me out of there",_ though she didn't realize it.

Jack unconsciously moved a bit closer to her, still looking deeply into those eyes of hers and seeing how the expressions changed and flitted across them. "Alright then, Sally...it's a date." He smiled but then had to ask, squeezing her hand a little. "Are you certain you're alright, Sally? Do you need something else? Perhaps something to eat to go along with the tea?"

A date? What was a date? Wasn't it a type of dead fruit? She'd heard "date" before and in books, but always figured they were talking about the fruit. "Um no...I'm not hungry..." Sally murmured. "I'm fine, Jack..."

Jack still searched her eyes for a moment, but finding some of the emotion in them hiding down deep inside of her once more he just sighed and nodded. "Alright. But speaking of the tea..." He removed his hand from hers and stood up from the couch. He stepped toward the fireplace and grabbed the hot tea kettle and two cups on a little shelf nearby, then placed all three items on the coffee table before them and poured both cups. "There we are..." He smiled at her, placing down the kettle.

"And now my Sally can be perfectly nice and safe and dry and warm...just like I like her..." He leaned in a little closer, barely realizing he was doing so.

Sally giggled and looked away shyly, before carefully taking one of the cups. "Thank you, Jack..." She sipped the tea, and savoured the delicious warmth and flavour. "You're so good to me...I appreciate it...so much."

Jack nodded. "You're too kind...But really I...I like taking care of you, Sally...I suppose that sounds strange but I just...enjoy seeing you happy very very much. When you smile it sort of...w-well it..." He blinked a few times and cleared his throat, glancing down in a touch of embarrassment.

He liked taking care of her, and making her smile... Once more Sally was touched, and she looked at him again before taking another sip. She placed it back down on the table, and scooted a little closer to him. "...You can tell me, Jack..." She placed her hand over his.

Her hand upon his made his breath catch in his throat and made the words slip out of him instantly. "Your smile sort of...warms my bones." He looked down in utter shyness and with a gulp, almost disbelieving he had just admitted that to her.

Sally's eyes widened, and could not believe that her being happy and smiling could really make someone feel so good inside. She felt so bashful, so modest, so shy...she wanted to crawl away and hide! But she couldn't scurry away in shyness...that would hurt his feelings, and she could never do that. "Oh, Jack..." She squeezed his hand, and scooted closer to him. "It's nice that I...well...can make you feel that way. ...You...your smile also..warms my..." She didn't have any bones or flesh, or anything inside of her but leaves. "...stuffing...?"

Jack blinked and his jaw fell a little. He just looked at her for a moment...and then smiled and broke into chuckles, unable to help himself. "Oh Sally..." he went forward and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "You're so clever and funny and you always make me smile and laugh. I love our time together, Sally..."

The euphoria returned full force! Sally wanted to melt into a puddle! Not only did she make Jack laugh, without even intending to, but he hugged her as well! Sally sighed dreamily before hugging him back. Her stuffing seemed to flutter, as if reacting to her happiness. She felt so much warmer, with the blanket and then his combined hug...heavenly. "I love...our time together too, Jack... I like to make you smile and laugh...it makes me...happy, too."

Jack beamed, squeezing her all the more tightly. "I'm so very happy to hear that, Sally...And...your stuffing flutters. That's just...That's just adorable, Sally. Do you really enjoy our time together that much?" He had to ask, just to hear her confirm it again.

He found her little save to be cute? Oh, she was just about ready to pounce and kiss the undead daylights out of him!

...Wait. Where did that come from? When did she think of such a bold thought? No way...she was just being silly. She pushed that thought aside quickly, focusing.

"I do, Jack... I enjoy our time together so much. They've...been the happiest moments in my existence. ...Nothing makes me happier, than to spend time with you." She hoped that wasn't too much, or too forward...but it was too perfect to pass up telling him how much he meant to her, how much their time together was something of an escape she loved.

Jack just took a few breaths, still savoring their hug. But then his eye sockets popped open again. He brought them to her eyes. "You...are that happy with me...Sally?" he asked slowly and cautiously, almost with disbelief, all the while still holding her close.

Sally shivered a bit, and gently nestled her head onto his shoulder, savouring the wonderful embrace. She gathered herself enough to answer his question. "...Yes. I'm very happy with you, Jack...Ever since I met you. I love...love..." She just couldn't say it. "...being with you."

Jack didn't breathe, didn't move, didn't blink. "N-No one's ever...felt that way about me before, Sally..." He blinked and gulped and then added, quite sincerely, "I think I love being with you too, Sally..." He smiled, "In fact, I...can't remember being as happy as I've been ever since I met you."

Sally. Felt. As. If. She. Would. BURST.

Now she looked up at him, bringing her arms a little tighter around him as she got a little closer. She felt so happy. Happier than ever. And to think he felt the same way! They really were such kindred spirits, weren't they? Finding each other made each other happy? And he felt just as happy since they met? She couldn't believe it.

"Really? Well...I...I meant it, Jack..." She said softly.

Her words made that warm...almost trembling feeling go through his bones again. And he had to tell her something... "Sally...may I let you know something...but if it makes you uncomfortable please tell me and I won't mention it again..." He took a breath, feeling...nervous. Nervous? He had never felt this way before...not the scariest or most dangerous feat had ever made him feel like he was feeling right now.

Trembling a little, Sally nodded. Maybe, just maybe...?

No. No.

She was NOT going to get her hopes up like that. No. She was going to listen to what he had to say, whatever it was, and then make her response. "Of course, Jack. You can tell me..." She wondered why he seemed so nervous all of a sudden, but kept attentive and encouraging.

Jack let out a breath. And then he told her. "W-Well, um...you know how I've told you that most of the, um...females in this town sort of...have a tenancy to be...my fangirls? And how you're the only one I've met who really...hasn't been like that? I mean, since you like me for other things than just being the Pumpkin King and scary? Well I...for that, I...I think I like you the best of all the girls in town, Sally." He sincerely thought a bone or two of his might snap from the quick intense heat that had just gone through all of them at admitting that to her.

It was so quiet in the house now. So quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Even Zero was very quiet as he observed the scene from the doorway!

Sally was...just...shocked. He liked her...out of ALL the girls in town. He liked her best. There was nothing deceitful or insincere in his words or expression. He meant that. Jack would never lie about that kind of thing, or say anything for the sake of making someone feel better. He did truly mean it. Sally didn't know what to think. She did obviously like him the best out of ANYONE in town, but to hear the same thing?

Her insides fluttered, she shivered with happiness...and her hands came his shoulders as she snuggled more into him.

"_Oh Jack_...!" She uttered in pure lovesick euphoric happiness before she then did a daring thing.

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Ah!" An audible gasp instantly escaped Jack! Wh-What had just...just happened? His breaths went shallow and he couldn't feel anything anymore, his bones numb with heat. N-No one had ever... Jack slowly, hesitantly reached up and touched the side of his cheek. He quickly pulled his bony fingetips away from the area, which almost sparked at his touch. Certainly Jack had seen people give kisses in Christmas Town but he had never imagined...Never ever...how it would... And on top of that, the way she had said his name just now. And now he just plain didn't know what to do. What to do with a young lady wrapped in his arms who had just shouted his name and kissed him and who he liked so very very much... He gulped rather distinctly.

Unfortunately, his reaction only made Sally worry. Had he not liked that? Was she too forward? Too forceful? Shame and guilt overrode her previous euphoric state, and her expression was downcast as she scooted back a little.

"...I...I'm sorry, Jack...I didn't mean to do that..." She waited, waited to be told to get out of his face and never to come near him again.

Jack blinked and snapped out of it, instantly bringing her closer, doing his best to catch her eyes with his eye sockets. "S-Sorry? But why? Didn't mean to..." He blinked...and then felt such a deep emptiness come over himself...Deeper than his lament over Halloween even... "You...didn't mean to..." he said quietly, dejectedly...and then he sighed and released her, scooching away just a tiny bit on the couch. He did his best to console himself. '_She didn't...Of course. How silly of me, really..._' He tried to smile but it wasn't exactly working out. '_All my fault really I suppose...I shouldn't have told her all of those things...And...what have I ever done to be worthy of a kiss from anyone anyway?_' He let out a small sigh, a deep melancholy coming over him.

Sally was then concerned, and confused. Why was he sad all of a sudden? Was it something she said? After having felt sad and guilty...though now she suddenly could see no reason for it. So what was wrong? Why was he-

Realization struck like a bolt of lightning.

She had said she didn't mean to kiss him, out of fear that he didn't want her to do that. And he had repeated that, and moments after...was sad. _Could he really be sad that I...didn't mean to kiss him? _

More guilt overrode her, though for a different reason.

She had to show him she did mean it.

Braving herself, she scooted closer, and then took one of his hands in both of hers in comfort. "Jack I...I lied, I did...mean that." She looked away for a moment, and then kissed him on the cheek again, squeezing his hand with her smaller ones all the while, to show she did mean it...and was sorry for making him think otherwise. She didn't understand why he was sad about that, but decided not to question it.

Not now, anyway.

"Ah!" Another one of those quick, audible gasps escaped Jack! She... He felt all hope and happiness return to his bones. She had meant it! Really and truly! '_She...meant it..._' The words were like warm balm to him and made him smile and his eye sockets go half lidded. "I-I...Th-Thank you, Sally...I...feel so special...I barely know what to say...And I'm sorry I got upset...it's just...I saw kissing in Christmas Town, and also...n-no...no girl ever...kissed me before..." he finished quietly and shyly, and then he squeezed her hand back.

A soft giggle escaped her. Who would've thought? Even she felt elated and so much better now that he was happy again. "I'm sorry I had said that, though. I suppose I misunderstood your reaction..."

Jack blinked, looking to her now, though for a moment the sight of her made such a deep fluster come over him that he almost had to glance away a little. "No, Sally, don't be sorry...I...I was so surprised, it makes sense that you maybe thought I was upset or something...But I assure you, I'm...not in the least..." He squeezed her hand. He sighed. "But Sally, did you really think I wouldn't...like...your kiss?" He glanced down in total shyness with a small smile upon his face. "Actually you're so affectionate...I'm surprised it's never come up before." He chuckled a tiny bit.

The moment was now quite awkward...especially considering her feelings. How was she supposed to explain herself? Thankfully he didn't exactly ask why, otherwise she'd be backed into a corner she couldn't get away from.

"I...I suppose maybe you would've thought it was too much." She admitted, looking away shyly.

Jack gulped and shrugged, still smiling a little to himself. "A kiss on the cheek from a young lady who's company I enjoy and who enjoys my own company as well...That could never be too much, Sally..." He turned to her, squeezed her hand. "Nothing's ever too much from my Sally...or _for_ my Sally..." And then suddenly, before he could make himself stop, he let out a sheepish breath and then leaned over and gave Sally a brief kiss on the cheek as well. He pulled back several seconds later, feeling...very nice. Very nice. "Th-There...n-now we're even, I suppose..." He did his best to chuckle a little at the joke.

Sally's eyes went wide, and her hand came to her cheek where he had kissed it, and just felt the material of her skin practically spark. She couldn't hold back a soft, dreamy sigh that escaped her lips. And on top of that, he called her "his" Sally... It almost made her feel as if they were together, happy and in love...something she only ever dreamed of. Would it ever come to be? Or would he truly find another woman he liked more than her?

The feeling of euphoria washed over her again as she came a bit closer and snuggled against him, wrapping the blanket around her tighter with her free hand.

She was smiling and happy again and even cuddling into him like the trusting dear she was. He sighed in contentment, thoroughly enjoying this moment with her. It was so nice and he felt so...not lonely. Like in the way Christmas made him feel not lonely but...more real, if that made any sense. Sally in her entirety was actually sort of Christmas-like. Smiling, affectionate, caring...and she even gave kisses! Although...Jack had to let out a sigh with a small flustered smile at the thought that had just occurred to him. "Sally?" he asked, wondering if she, considering her young age, knew about a certain sight he had seen in Christmas Town and that he had often wondered about here even before his fateful visit to that place.

"Mm-hmm...?" A relaxing sensation had washed over her, so much so that she didn't feel a jump startle within her stuffing whenever he spoke to her in breaking the soft silence. She felt more comfortable and at ease, and especially happy that he seemed to welcome being snuggled. For a skeleton, he was sure cuddly...she didn't want to let go! "Yes?" Sally looked up at him to give her attention.

Jack smile more, brimming with warm joy at her closeness and sweetness. "Did you know that in Christmas Town...of course they give kisses on cheeks but...I even saw the strange sight of people giving other people kisses on their...mouths. What do you think of that, Sally?" he asked, averagely, levelly, maybe a touch curiously, but otherwise in a way pretty straightforward.

A kiss on the mouth? Oh, she knew that all too well. Pictures, and story descriptions told about how a true kiss between two people in love happened on the mouth. Ever since Sally knew what a kiss was, she was curious. But ever since finding out about kissing on the lips...her fantasies skyrocketed. Kisses on the cheek, which actually came to happen, was one thing she thought so much about doing. But when she knew about kisses on the mouth...that was a whole different story. It seemed so intimate. So close. So personal. ...So wonderful. Ever since then, not one day passed where a fantasy about sharing a kiss on the mouth together didn't enter her mind.

Sally looked down shyly. "Well I...I've read about it...and I've seen pictures of...kissing on the mouth... I-I suppose a place as...bright and happy as Christmas Town...like you had said...would partake in something so...sweet..."

Jack nodded bashfully and spoke sweetly. "Yes, it was one of my favorite parts of the whole place...Watching people so happy together in that special way...I don't believe I've ever seen anyone in Halloween Town kiss like that...or if they have, they've done it privately. Sally..." He gulped, feeling a little funny for asking this but banking on their relationship being deep enough to make the question alright. "Do you ever think about what doing that must be like, Sally...?" He asked the question in the most humble and shy voice imaginable!

Uh-oh.

This wasn't good. He had just asked her if she ever wondered what it felt like! Did he realize what he was even asking, or WHO he was asking? Probably not...

Did she ever, though. All the time. But she couldn't tell him that! How could she explain it without lying or being TOO honest?

"I...I...I...um...a little. I mean...well...when I'm curious about something I surely do want to know more about it..." Sally managed very nervously.

Jack did his best not to chuckle at her adorable response. "It's alright, Sally," he started, making an assumption about why she seemed nervous, "I know it's not a very 'scary' thing to be concerned with but...I still think it's fine for Halloween Town and it's people to branch out a little into new things like Christmas...and like kissing, even mouth kissing. And...it's sweet that you're curious, Sally..." he added with a touch of shyness. "I'm very curious about kissing like that myself...N-No one's ever kissed me like that just like with the cheek kissing actually, heh..." He smiled shyly to himself.

"I haven't, either..." Sally admitted shyly, and hoped against all hope that the subject would be changed SOMEHOW. "I'm sure...anyone would be curious if they want to...find out more about something like that...and even try new things...like this Christmas thing." Even though apprehensive, Christmas did still intrigue her very much. With its bright colours and interesting decorations...why not? There was nothing wrong with trying something new. She just hoped it wouldn't escalate out of hand.

"No I suppose you wouldn't have..." Jack sighed out, just gazing at her a little. So kind, so considerate, so pure hearted...If all of her little extra affection today really was because she was smitten with someone...Jack couldn't deny that he envied the man just a little. He hoped that person who fully appreciate what he was getting with Sally and that he would take care of her and bring happiness to her life. "I wonder if anyone here will want to try it though as our Christmas celebration nears?" He chuckeld and raised part of his brow.

"Um...w-well...perhaps they would..." Sally murmured very shyly, looking down to avoid his gaze. Any minute now she almost expected him to say, _"Hey! I have an idea! Let's try it out, Sally! We're friends, so why not?"_

Okay, that was absolutely silly. She pushed that idea from her mind immediately.

"I hope I get to try it myself one day myself..." Jack merely replied with a quiet shrug, letting out a sigh as he rested back against Sally to resume their cuddling...

Yes, that would be nice. Kissing someone like that...He truly hoped he would be allowed to on one day.

"...W-Well...you probably will..." Sally murmured shyly, and looked away again. "You'll...meet someone and fall in love...and be able to...show them how you feel with a kiss..." She now looked at him as she said that.

Jack's eye sockets went wide. He looked to her curiously. "I..." he swallowed and glanced down with a little shrug. "I-I don't know about that, Sally...I...think I may be sort of a... 'hard fit'...heh...I'm a little strange at times, after all..." He smiled a tiny bit to himself.

"...You're still a wonderful person with so much to offer to the world, and to anyone you choose to be with. ...Any woman would be so lucky to have you, Jack..." A melancholic look came to her. "I should know...You're a dear friend to me, and I can see how much you would make someone happy...and who could make you happy too."

Jack felt so...touched. "Oh...Oh Sally, I...thank you for that...so very much." He looked into her eyes, smiling with so much gratefulness and appreciation. "If...If you believe so then all of that must be true...even if it's a bit hard for me to see sometimes..." His eye sockets had gone a bit half lidded now. "Thank you for the hope, my Sally..."

A bashful giggle escaped her. "Well...I certainly don't see why it couldn't happen. But you're welcome..." She met his eyes again, her own going half-lidded as well. "You deserve it, Jack...you deserve to be happy...with whatever you do, whoever you choose to be with. Whatever happens...I just hope you'll be happy." She placed her hands over his.

Jack let out a slightly shuddery breath and nodded. "Thank you, my Sally...And you know...you deserve to be happy too...I hope...I hope that whoever comes to possess your sweet affections is worthy of you, Sally. You deserve as much kindness and sweetness as you give to others, my dearest friend...I'm almost surprised no one has caught your eye yet...And I'd be utterly stunned if you haven't caught someone else's eye yet...Sally..." He found himself leaning closer, enjoying this conversation with her so immensely...enjoying her presence, her perfection...His sweet Sally...

Sally felt her insides flutter, and she leaned closer as well, scooting closer to him on the couch again. She felt so shy and bashful...but so...alive, brave. She couldn't turn away if she wanted to. "That's very sweet of you to say...thank you. Well...maybe I have...and they don't know it yet...or even I don't know it..." She whispered.

Jack gulped, a rather intrigued look coming to his face. "Really? Hmm..." he chuckled a little, "Well, I have to confess, Sally...part of me...has been wondering lately...when you smile or talk in a certain way...if you have someone in your heart whom you care for..." He swallowed. "If you do, he really would be rather lucky. You're a rarer find than Christmas, after all, Sally..." he added with a small chuckle.

A rarer find that Christmas? Oh, this was just too much! And yet, she was so intoxicated with the beautiful moment between them, it was hard to let it go. A loving, adoring, admiring smile came to her face, and it was all directed at the very one she was looking at. All of her love for him seemed to come through. She didn't care though, she was a little too far gone.

"I could say the same about you, Jack..." She cooed, she leaned closer toward him, her slightly long, angled nose nearly touching his nose sockets. "I don't think I've met anyone...as charming, caring, sweet, lovable...interesting, and talented as you.." She reached up with one hand to flirtatiously toy with one of the wings of his bat bowtie.

"I-I...Th-The...A-And...W-Well..." Jack couldn't pick a word-he couldn't pick any words. She was so close! And it occurred to him all of a sudden that he had never gotten this close to a girl before ever. A-And she was playing with his tie? Huh? S-Sally had never done anything like that...What should he do back? He gulped. "Th-Thank...y-you..." was all he could manage, his voice cracking horrible at the second word. "I-I t-try...heh..." He smiled a little sheepishly, so very nervous...and yet so very unable to move away...What was going on? He felt so very confused, and for a moment wished he really had put his jacket back on before. He would have felt much less...exposed, at least! He gulped again, looking to her eyes for whatever would come next.

A giggle escaped her, as she felt a wave of happiness course over her. She had never been this close to a man before...let alone one she was so in love with and close to. "You do well, Jack..." She said sweetly, smiling more. Some strands of her yarn hair fell into her face and eyes, as she came a little closer. "You're a great man..."

If his eye sockets had gone any wider her certainly would have cracked a seam in his skull. '_G-Great...man_?' He paused for just a moment to consider, really consider what in Halloween's name was going on here?

Maybe...Maybe this was a sort of a...game or something. Y-Yes, a fun, sweet little game from his fun, sweet little Sally... She was just...getting more comfortable around him lately so it made sense that she would want to have a little fun like this. And then this thought made him wonder...what would she do if he...had a little fun back? He wondered if he would even be able to do something like that right. Still he was the 'talented' Pumpkin King as she had just described him. It was worth a shot...right?

He gulped and then let out a breath...and then did his best to put on his most charming smile...and he even deepened his voice a good octave. "A-And you're a beautiful woman, Sally. To be honest...I've never enjoyed the appearance of another female creature...quite as much as I enjoy yours...F-For someone who's only supposed to be barely a year old...you certainly look quite a bit more m-mature than that..." He figured now either he had done the right thing in this situation or she would hit him very hard and run far away and never want to see him again. But, he was really feeling like the first one of those was probably the right one...

Was Jack...flirting right back with her? Sally was taken aback for a moment, wide-eyed and surprised...but then, she just smiled more, came a little closer. She was so charmed by his flirty words, and that voice...she was just lost in him all the more!

"Jack, you're so sweet...I appreciate it." She cooed, toying with his tie again. "And you're pretty handsome...and your eye sockets are so expressive and deep...the way you smile...and how scary you can look one moment, but then so charming and bright the next... But it's all nothing compared to who you are inside..."

Jack all but trembled visibly at this point! Why was she doing this to him? She had to know that if she kept going...kept being like this...he might...might actually start to...feel certain things...about her. "Thank you...I...didn't know an old skeleton like me was so appealing. A-And, well, like I said, I try, my Sally...A-And I especially try when I'm around you...the scary stuff and the charming stuff, the outside stuff and the inside stuff..." And then he reached up and gently twirled a strand or two of her yarn hair around his fingers. What was he doing? This was insane and yet...it felt so right! Like Christmas but a million times better! "I've wanted to touch your hair ever since the moment I first saw you. Does that sound absolutely insane?" He almost chuckled at asking the question.

"No...not at all..." Sally encouraged, happily allowing him to touch her hair. He did sometimes, and she loved it. He was so gentle, and treated it like it was precious. She knew of many would pull her hair or yank on it roughly, but Jack never did that. Not even as a joke. She trembled a bit, and they leaned a little closer together. Was it happening? Their mouths were barely a few inches apart by now. Just a little further!

Jack gulped. "W-Wonderful..." He couldn't help his voice cracking slightly at that word, though he swallowed and did his best to go back to that deeper way of speaking from before as he gazed directly into her eyes. "Sally...you know...I...how to put this...I've considered you my dearest friend for quite some time but...you keep saying certain things and I...they 'affect' me and...how I think about us, why don't we say..." He held her just a little more closely. "I've never been this close with a girl...a w-woman before...never looked into eyes like I look into yours...or embraced anyone like this. I've never felt so warm in my entire life either. P-Perhaps I should...lower the fire...?" He suggested at last, and he had a feeling, as the words left his mouth, that that last line might have had more than one meaning.

A little gulp gathered in Sally's throat, but she didn't back down. Her eyes closed a little, as she considered her response...with what little bit of her mind that wasn't overtaken by this intoxicating, flirtatious frenzy they'd gotten caught in. "I feel really warm too, Jack...I've never been so close to a man before...and I... You're my dearest friend as well..." Now their foreheads were touching. "I don't mind being so close to you like this..." She couldn't believe she had just said that. But by now, she was too far gone to realize it.

Her face was all but pressed up against his. He...He just... "W-Well then...we can be warm together, can't we?" And then before he could check the instinct, suddenly he had moved forward and dipped her back a little into the blankets, following suite with her, their foreheads still lightly pressed together. "I-I've never ...talked to another person like I'm talking to you now either, Sally. But...I...perhaps I'm...I'm taking advantage..." a slight look of worry came to his features for a moment. "We're so close and...I invited you up here...m-maybe this is wrong..." he couldn't help but worry out loud, as meanwhile his bones trembled and warmed more and more.

This made her eyes widen, and suddenly want to cling to this even more. "You're not...I promise." Was it wrong? On some levels, maybe it was. But it felt right. So right. The real world was prying into this with its cold, heartless fingers...and any time soon it would be over and she would be back in her lonely prison...she didn't want that. The escape she had with him in his presence was all she had. She didn't want to let it go. Her eyes pleaded with him then, wordlessly pleading him to not let go.

The severity of her words and gaze in response to his worry made all of Jack's concerns on the subject vanish. She...wanted this...very very badly actually, it seemed. She...wanted...him? He just nodded at her. "Okay..." And then he reached up a hand and gently cupped the side of her face, his eye sockets still locked onto her eyes. And then he tilted his head upward just slightly and placed a single little kiss upon her nose. He tilted his head back down, eye sockets still wide. "S-Sally...I...think I 'like' you...very, very, very, very, very, VERY much..." He waited, not knowing what else to say.

If a pumping, beating heart existed in her body, it would surely be soaring and pounding harder into next week. In fact, she could even practically hear one. The moment of desperation she'd had in pleading that he not let her go, not let the real world take her back to her prison...had been answered. The little kiss on her nose, the understanding words, and then...the sweetest words she could've hoped to ever hear.

Sally was so lost, so gone in the euphoria...the escape, the wonderful feeling of being with someone she loved, someone she trusted so much... While her eyes continued to plead, the smile on her face did reach them, as she looked happier than she'd ever been in her entire existence. There was glistening in her eyes...tears?

Her small hands gently held at his shoulder bones, as she managed to finally muster up the remaining strength she had to say something back. "I...I...I do too...I like you...very...very...very...v-very...much..." She did want this, so badly. But moreover, she wanted him. At least now, he could see that...the look in his eye sockets upon her pleading told everything.

She...liked him very...VERY much too...Jack felt...felt...aflame with some new feeling that suddenly burned through all of his bones. He gulped, his eye sockets not blinking...totally lost in Sally's beautiful, perfect eyes... "I..." he spoke quietly and unsurely, "I'm...so confused, Sally. We...I don't know what to do, Sally... I think I'm...I think...I'm..." Jack searched for the word to describe the emotion and suddenly it hit him and made his eye sockets open wider in surprise. He was... "I'm...scared, Sally. Please, help me..." He looked to her in worry and wonder, really not knowing what he ought to do from here.

Oh goodness, was it too much? Was she overwhelming the poor thing?

Her inner instincts told her to STOP and scurry away out of shyness and guilt, but she couldn't turn back now! Scared as he was, he was asking for her help. No. She was not going to back down.

"Of course..." Sally murmured softly, and leaned a little closer. "It's new to me as well...but...it's okay to be scared." Her voice lowered to a soft whisper. "I'll help you..."

Her final three words were comforting and yet...they and the whisper in which they were said sent a little extra wave of searing heat through his bones. He just nodded a little, trembling a little inside. "Th-Thank you, my S-Sally..." he was thoroughly convinced he would never be able to say her name again without stuttering or his voice cracking, both things which had happened just now upon him saying it. And then Jack closed his eye sockets for a moment and took a deep, relaxing breath, and then let it out. His eye sockets opened again. And then...he smiled at her and brought his other hand up to join its mate in gently cradling her face in his bony hands. "W-Well then...what should we do next, do you think...my darling S-Sally?"

Sally melted and sighed dreamily. He had called her...darling... A romantic term of endearment toward someone you loved. Could it be...he was open to the idea of them? She smiled more at him lovingly, now clasping her hands along his neck very gently. "Well I...I suppose...we could...follow our instincts... And just...let it flow naturally..." They were so close now... This was truly a euphoric, heavenly dream she didn't want to wake up from...

For a moment Jack blinked, his eyes going wide, and then he glanced down in a fluster and shook his head a little, bringing his bony hands to her shoulders. "N-No! I...um...I mean...what I mean is, I-I'm not sure if that's the best idea f-for...certain reasons..." He swallowed again and then admitted quietly, feeling so very embarrassed, "I'm not sure what I might do with you if I did something like that, Sally. I...think I like you too much...My brain I can't think straight anymore about you..." He all but held his breath, waiting for how she might respond to that.

"It's okay...I trust you..." Came her soft reply. "I want to...that is...if you do, too...of course... It's okay to be scared... I'm a little bit scared myself...I...I have...been intrigued by this so long...with you... If it's not too much...to say..."

Jack swallowed. She had been intrigued...and for a while? And she was scared too? He let out the breath he had been holding and then looked deeply into her eyes and touched one of her cheeks once more. "You're scared too, Sally? Oh but Sally...you...you really can trust me...I would never do anything to harm you. Actually, all I really think I want to do is...i-is..." He had never noticed her lips so very much until this moment. So red and perfect...and trembling now with a touch of that fear she had mentioned. Did he dare? "I want to...for us to..." His eye sockets feel half lidded...and he sighed, "For Halloween's sake, you're even better than Christmas..." He had to smile at the sudden observation randomly escaping him...

"I'm scared...but not of you...I trust you so much... It's this entire thing..." She said softly, and lay her forehead against his gently. "I've wanted it...for so long. You can..." Now she opened her eyes again, and felt herself melt yet again. "You're...you're better than Halloween..." She said softly in reply.

Jack's grin instantly widened. His voice dropped a little lower for a moment. "Well, I don't like to brag but...I am the Pumpkin King after all..." He winked at her saucily. And then he swallowed and added, slowly tiptoeing his fingers down the side of her face to play a little with one of the seams near her mouth, "And I understand, Sally...Maybe I've...Maybe I've wanted this for a little while myself...Maybe I want it all the time a little whenever we're together..."

Sally beamed, and giggled a little at his ministrations. "Jack...you don't know how much that means to me... You're my best friend...and I can think of no one I would share this with than you..."

"You're my best friend too, Sally..." he replied, gently caressing each of the stitches in the little seam he hand chosen to play with.

"Arf, Arf!" Zero, from Jack's room, suddenly piped up, sticking his head out into the living room.

Jack just chuckled and corrected himself, "Best friend who's a _girl_...Sorry, Zero!"

"Arf!" the little ghost dog replied in happy satisfaction and then went back to it's place in Jack's room.

Jack sighed and turned his attentions back to Sally. "Anyway, where were we..." He pressed his forehead a little more against hers, gazing down into her eyes amorously.

This made Sally laugh and giggle, before she opened her eyes and met Jack's wondrous eye sockets...she smiled amorously as well. "You tell me..."

"Oh Sally..." he let out a shuddery sigh, "I can be a bit clueless sometimes so if I'm going in the wrong direction with all of this then please forgive me but...Sally...I want to...kiss with you...on the mouth. Just like in Christmas Town...I want to so badly that if I can't my bones may just...utterly break apart from one another!" He announced passionately and with a totally enamored smile, pressing entirely against her.

"Jack..." Sally cooed passionately, and shuddered. "I...I do, too... I want to kiss you too..." She looked down a bit shyly.

"Then...what are you waiting for..." he asked in a whisper full of flirtation. "Because all I'm waiting for...is the puckering of your perfect, devil red lips..." Something almost devilish came into his grin now. "Though I'm not sure how much longer I can resist..."

Sally shuddered by his flirtatious tone, and his devilish grin...it was all too much! She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to kiss him so badly...and now she had the chance to. To pour all of her love into this one chance...

"Jack..." Then through some kind of bold feeling, her tone was also full of flirtation. "_Come here_..."

And then it happened.

She brought them closer together and her lips met his own...

"Mmm?" Jack exclaimed at first, not having expected her to be the one to initiate things...and certainly not in such a bold manner! His bones hummed with heat and his eye sockets went wider and wider at first at this new sensation!

Kissing...lips...Sally...But then suddenly the warmth all overtook him and his eye sockets closed and a deep sigh escaped through his nose, and he just...collapsed completely on top of Sally.

How the heck had he gotten here? All he had intended for this evening besides more Christmas research was, upon her giving him a gift, inviting Sally up here to get warm and thank her. '_W-Well..._' his thoughts barely broke through, '_T-Technically I suppose this is a form of a thank you...and especially if she really wants it...And also...if her experience is at all like mine, it is rather warming..._' He felt so embarrassed thinking that way...though that didn't stop him from then entrenching one bony hand into Sally's hair and bringing his other arm to wrap gently under the arch of her spine as he started to firmly kiss her back.

Did they just fall back? It sure felt like it... But all she could feel or think about was this! This!

Sally breathed through her nose, and a soft little noise escaped the back of her throat, especially at the feel of his hand in her hair and the other holding the base of her spine...and oh, he was _kissing back!_ Halloween Heave was upon them now! The real world was pushed back, nothing but a veil of dark beauty enveloped them now...

Her hands came up along his neck, and then to gently caress his skull, as she had longed to do so long.

"Mm...mmm..." Jack felt some kind of pleasurable sound come up from deep in his throat, but Sally's kiss had only put it there...what Sally was doing to his skull now was what had made it come up and out of him. Why did she have to touch him like that? It felt too good. TOO good. It wasn't fair. His skull was the most sensitive and delicate bone of his whole body and she was practically making it melt in pleasure... "Mmm..." He let out another one of those sounds and pressed his mouth more deeply to hers, savoring everything about his first real kiss.

A light gasp escaped her at his responses within their kiss, and then she moaned again. Not out of pain or fright, but it was more happy. She continued caressing his skull, which he seemed to like. It felt nice to finally do that...

She too applied a little more pressure, despite that she was unsure and shy, she did her best. Either way, it didn't matter, this was heavenly! She only hoped he felt the same way...

She was making those nice sounds too...Did that mean that she was as happy as he was right now? But no...she...she couldn't be...not just yet, anyway...He had to find something special to do to her, like she was doing to his skull...Then she would know what utter bliss felt like. He recalled how she had smiled and giggled a little earlier when he had played with that seam near her mouth. Maybe her seams were sensitive...ticklish, even. He decided to test things out. He brought his thumb of the hand in her hair over to Sally's face and gently began to carress the seam near her hair line. And all the while he writhed in pleasure at her touches to his skully. His mind literally couldn't think anymore. All he wanted was to kiss and kiss and kiss...and only her! Forever!

Sally felt his touch along her seam and giggled a little between kisses at the feeling. Indeed, her seams were a little sensitive, and even ticklish. It only added to the wonderful feeling of their kiss! She writhed in pleasure, still continue her little ministrations along his skull. Her mind, too, was a complete blank and she was so far gone, it was a wonder she even knew what she was doing! All she wanted now was to kiss, kiss...and just be with him! Now and forever!

If there was any other indication that he was meant for her (She hoped), it was certainly proven in their kiss. There was just something about it that felt more right than she could say. Oh, but it felt wonderful... To share such an intimate gesture of affection and love... She hoped they would do this again sometime!

Jack's breathing picked up through his nose and he almost couldn't handle this anymore! It was so much! It was everything! He had to stop, he had to tell her, he had to... He pulled his lips from hers, panting heavily. "S-S-Sally...m-my skull...A-And your lips...I can't...It's..." He just looked down at her, so very overwhelmed. "I'm so embarrassed...I like you so much..." He felt about as flustered as he had ever been in his centuries of existence.

Her eyes went wide, and immediate concern washed over her. As well as shame and guilt.

They sat up, and she buried her face in her hands, shame and guilt now taking precedence over all else. "I'm...so sorry..."

Jack's jaw fell open a little. "Wh-What?" He blinked in utter confusion. "Sally, why? Why are you sorry?" He held her close, so very scared all of a sudden. "Don't...Don't be sad...Don't be...my darling Sally..."

Sally sniffled a bit, tears actually rolling down her cheeks...and it was hard not to melt at him calling her darling again... "I didn't mean to overwhelm you...I got so carried away...I'm so sorry..."

Jack shook his head, reaching up and brushing some tears from her face. "No, no, no...You didn't overwhelm me...I..well, I mean, you did, but I...I'm the one who...wasn't prepared to handle it...Oh Sally...it felt so...good." A deep, shuddery sigh escaped him, unable to be helped. Then he gulped and asked, a fear occurring to him, But perhaps it didn't feel as good for you...maybe that's why you might not understand..."He didn't breathe, awaiting her reply.

Now she looked a bit surprised, and shook her head. "No...that's not it at all... Jack... That felt better than...anything I can say...But it wasn't...because of just the satisfaction of curiosity...it was sharing it...with you.."

A deep, happy, relieved sigh escaped Jack and he smiled so very much. "I...enjoyed sharing that with you too. A-And of course there was that...satisfaction you mentioned..." he began to trace over a seam or two on her face, "I think I like mouth kissing...Mouth kissing with only you..." He winked at her.

Sniffling, the sadness melted away as Sally smiled, and even giggled a bit. "Really? Me too...Jack...Me too."

Jack's grin grew more. "Yes, you too... Sally, I...I can't believe I never realized that along with your sweet, selfless, modest self...there's such a sensual woman lurking right under the surface...with so many secret feelings and desires..." He started to twirl a piece or two of her hair around one of his bony fingers.

Sally blushed figuratively, and felt her smile grow more too as she giggled bashfully. "Well...I...I suppose...it takes the right person...to bring out that kind of side in a woman..."

That something devilish started to come to Jack's eye sockets and smile again. "Really? I never knew that...So I suppose I must be the right person for the job then, all things considered..." He brought his fingers down to delicately play with one of the seams under her chin.

This made her eyes widen again and her insides seem to melt and flutter. "Yes... You are, Jack... You really are..."

"Hmm...well, please keep this between you and me but...I think I like being the man who can do that to you even more than being the Pumpkin King..." He moved his fingers upward to gently play with a seam of her lips yet again.

"You do?" Sally marveled, and sighed dreamily, and giggled at his ministrations. "I'll keep it secret..."

He chuckled a little at her cute giggles. "I should hope so...Otherwise...I'll just have to find ways to stop that red-lipped mouth of yours from telling, my pretty little pumpkin." He leaned in again and gave another small kiss to her nose tonight.

Sally giggled, and sighed dreamily at his little kiss on her nose, as well as his little pet name for her, which she liked. "Jack...shouldn't you make trying to keep me silent...a little less appealing?" It wasn't a sarcastic remark, it was an actual genuine question.

Jack just shrugged. "Hmm...good point. Maybe that means I really wouldn't mind everyone knowing about this...sudden, strange thing bubbling up between us...or maybe I just want an excuse to kiss your mouth again soon...I don't really know. I sort of can't think much when I'm this close to you. You make me nervous as a child about to receive his first scare. It's an absolutely addicting feeling." He snuggled them a little closer, savoring her sweet warmth.

"Oh..." Sally realized, and giggled, nodding. "If you put it that way...perhaps I should blab to anyone I see...Or you could just ask..." She snuggled into him more, too.

Jack gulped, trembling a tiny bit at that idea. "W-Well if you told everyone...I suppose everyone would expect us to...be together...all the time. Officially... But you're so shy, my sweet Sally...are you sure you could handle something like that?"

"...Well...perhaps it would be overwhelming...but...if it meant being around you all the time, I could learn to handle it..." Sally fluttered her eyelashes unconsciously.

Jack was drawn all the more to her by the eyelash fluttering. "Yes, but...could I learn to handle being with you...and not becoming utterly entranced by you every moment of every day just like I am right now...?"

She leaned in and snuggled a little closer, her smile growing. "Well...I could help you along the way... We can help each other...?"

"Maybe I don't want to be helped..." he suggested in a low whisper...his eyes narrowing and his grin growing. "Maybe I just...want to hold you, and touch you, and to feel you hold and touch me. Maybe I just want you, my Sally...my Sally..."

A wave of passion washed over her then and it made her feel quite wild...though subdued. "Well...maybe I do, too..."

Something inside of Jack all but snapped! "Well then..." And suddenly he twisted her around and dipped her back in his arms on the couch, "...What's stopping us?"

Sally gasped, looking up at him with wide eyes at his sudden bold, passionate move. Then she smiled more, leaning up toward him. "Nothing..." She said softly.

"Oh Sally, you were _made_ for me!" he announced giddily and then he all but collapsed on her in a kiss far more passionate and fiery than their last one together.

"Mmmmm...!" Sally was taken aback by this, but happily welcomed it as she kissed back. Though with shyness and uncertainty, but true none the less. This time she coursed her arms around his torso and held on tight, as if afraid he would float away if she let go.

That little squeal of surprise from her only enticed him further! He angled his skull more, fusing his mouth to hers. He wrapped his long arms around her shoulders and upper back. He held her to him as though for a moment they were one perfect entity together. He did his best to give her everything he had, to put all of his pent up and denied passions into this perfect piece of time between them. WHY had he never realized she was such an intoxicating creature? Why had he been so afraid to admit all of her lovely perfections and imperfections...and to adore her for all of them?

All but just melting under his embrace, and their kiss... Sally once again felt as if they were in some kind of heavenly world. Nothing to pull them back or stop them...a world they could call their own and be free. _Free...I feel so free..._ Was all she could think of before her mind shut down. She held on tighter, but not enough to snap or crush his bones, and reveled all the more in this wonderful passion.

"Mmm...mmm..." Jack moaned, this time consciously, just...just because he wanted to! He hadn't felt so, pardon the pun, 'alive' in...ages! He felt strong and energized and worthwhile and filled with hope and purpose! And he was the Pumpkin King and he had a woman he loved in his arms, her lips to his...Existence was euphoria! He leaned her back even more until she was lying gently upon the couch and he was all but over then with a final push against her perfect mouth he separated his from hers again, only to start giving her mouth small, consistent, heated kisses now. "My darling...Oh my darling...My sweet darling...How I adore you...Gorgeous female creature.." he whispered between kisses.

Feeling utterly overjoyed, her small hands grasped his shoulders now and she giggled, sighing dreamily. His words, his ministrations, it was all so much! Sally wondered how she didn't burst at the seams! It made her wish once again that she had a beating heart! But then again, she feared she could have a heart attack from the overload of so much loving passion!

"I adore you too, Jack... Sweet, dearest Jack..." Sally cooed.

"Oh..." Jack's kisses had to stop for a moment and he gazed at her in utter bliss. "Say my name again...And with all those lovely words before it...Please..." He let out a shuddery sigh of contentment. "You say my name like you're singing it...clear and beautiful like a bell ringing out on a crisp autumn night."

Sally giggled and smiled all the more, happily obliging. "Of course. I'll say it all you like, dearest sweet Jack..." His name was said in a sweet little sing-song tone.

He collapsed against her now entirely, just shutting his eyes in bliss as he snuggled atop her. "And on that note...I am yours, my Sally...Do with me what you will..." He chuckled a little to himself.

"...Darling...will you?" Came her soft, questioning, pleading reply.

"Will I what?" he merely asked, still smiling blissfully and snuggling into her.

"...Be mine?" She nuzzled her cheek against his own. "Really? ...Because I'll be yours..."

"Of course...Eternally...if you'll be mine too." He nuzzled his whole body to hers at this point, barely realizing he was doing so. "I desire you so much..." he added quietly.

Sally sighed dreamily again, and gently squeezed his shoulders. This was it...it was a perfect time to say. "I do too...Jack...there's something...I want to say..."

"Say anything, my enchantress...Say anything and I will listen and follow..." he assured with a whisper.

"I...I...Jack, dearest...I..." Now her voice lowered into a soft whisper.

"Tell me..." he whispered back, eye sockets still hazed over in bliss. "Tell me anything you beautiful, perfect creature..."

"Jack, I...I...I love you."

"Love..." He said the word with a small, quiet gasp, his eye sockets popping open. He clung to her. '_Love...She...loves me. Sally loves me. Jack and Sally..._' He barely knew what to do. His breathing had stopped and right now he was just clinging to her in the hopes of not passing out. Someone loved him and it was her! He felt like the room was all but spinning...and all he longed for was to hear those sweet words said in that sweet voice again...

"...Jack?" Sally said softly, looking concerned, but all the more glad at finally telling him how she felt. "...Are you all right?"

Jack gulped and shook his head a little against her, his eye sockets still wide. "I-I..." barely croaked out of him, "I...don't know..." He continued to hold fast to her, finding comfort only in the soft warmth of her form. "I don't know..." he whispered again, shock melting into puzzlement and then followed by pensiveness in his face.

A slightly sad, but understanding look came to her face. "...It's okay... I just wanted you to know that."

"Oh Sally!" His eye sockets shut tightly and his arms came around her tightly as well to hold her as closely as possible! "No one ever told me they loved me! At least no one who didn't really mean they just loved the Pumpkin King...who didn't really know...anything about me! Oh Sally..." He didn't want to ever let her go.

That much she figured, but wow...in all of his lifetime, he never had anyone truly say it and mean it?

"...Oh...well...I'll say it all you like, Jack...because I love you...everything about you. You've been nothing but a wonderful friend to me." She felt so brave! So happy! She could finally express herself! "When I'm with you, I feel so free...so happy."

Jack's eye sockets opened, and he looked down at her so tenderly now. "Really?" he asked, almost in wonder.

Sally blushed...though figuratively, and nodded. "Really...I mean that."

"I...love you too..." It left is mouth before he could even think about it. Pure intinct, pure emotion. "I love Sally...I love you..." he tried it these few other ways too, just needing to...

For a moment Sally swore she hadn't heard him right. That this HAD to be a dream, some kind of wonderful nightmare she was having. She had fallen asleep outside after she left the basket, and any second now she was going to wake up on the ground against the wall near the gate to his home. Or she would wake up in her bed, locked in her room until Dr. Finkelstein would open the door for her and let her out of the daily chores.

Upon opening her eyes, Sally blinked as she realized...

"Jack...say it again...please...?" She said softly. She wanted to make sure she heard him right.

Jack gulped, fully realizing now what he had just let slip out...and what he had just admitted to himself. "I love you..." he said so quietly, so shyly, overwhelmed...

Silence befell the room.

Then all of a sudden, the two were launched back into a half sitting, half leaning back position as Sally hugged him tightly!

"_Oh Jack_... I love you, too...!"

"Ah!" A deep gasp escaped him and he trembled and stiffened in her grasp! Oh dear, what had he done...What had they both done? He was supposed to have taken her in earlier and just been a good host and given her tea and a blanket...NOT confessions of love and a first kiss! He was so torn inside between bashful guilt...and a searing passion that threatened to consume all reason he possessed in a wave of love and bliss! And how had this all started again? She had said a nice thing or two to him and played with his bowtie a little and he had gone from the strong, sensible Pumpkin King to putty in her perfect cloth hands? How long must he have cared for her in secret without even realizing it to become like that with her so quickly tonight? He just remained in her hug for now, savoring the feeling of them pressed together like this as best he could.

Eventually Sally pulled back, looked away shyly, realizing she was still wrapped in the blanket. "Um...well I...I mean...um..." She twiddled her fingers a bit, suddenly feeling shy all over again.

It took Jack a few moments to come back to reality and out of his epic existential self-debate and numb shock at all of this. He looked to her curiously. Suddenly she was so shy. He wondered why. "S-Sally..." he questioned softly... "Are you alright?" He reached out with both bony hands and gently cupped them over her nervously twiddling hands, looking down at her sincerely.

"...Yes... I am now..." Sally murmured softly. "I suppose...I didn't expect this at all and it's kind of...really getting to me now. ...I feel like I'm dreaming and any second now, I'll wake up..." The sad look returned to her face as she looked down. "I'm going to wake up any second now, aren't I..."

Jack smiled shyly and looked down, unable to resist the response... "Well, if by some chance you do wake up...please wake me up as well to join you...since you'll probably be in my arms..."

Sally let out a small gasp, and looked down at their hands touching. She looked up at him hopefully, with a smile, but pleading eyes. "I wish I could be, Jack... But I just know I'd wake up in my bed, and realize all of this was a dream."

Jack frowned and shook his head. "No, no, no...You'd wake up with me, Sally, I promise! But this really isn't a dream, Sally...H-Here, I'll...I'll prove it to you...A..A dream couldn't feel as good as this, c-could it?" He gulped and then closed his eye sockets almost all the way and leaned in close and gently started to kiss along the seams of her face, hoping that would show her that this between them right now was far too wonderful to be a mere dream.

"Oh!" Sally was taken aback, and giggled. "...You're right...I can't be dreaming..."

"No..." he spoke between kisses to her seams, "No dreaming..." He found himself really getting into it all of a sudden, his hands leaving hers so that his arms coud start to wrap around her torso. "Mmm..." He sighed/moaned a tiny bit, unable to help it, "You're so...attractive, Sally...in so many ways...My Sally...Hold me, my Sally..."

Soft giggles and sighs escaped her, as she inched a little closer in his ministrations, holding to his shoulders. "I will...I'll do anything for you..."

Reality was slowly setting back in, and bringing them on back to the real world. But, it wasn't as scary or depressing anymore. If anything, it felt so much better. She didn't have to be afraid anymore. She would eventually have to return home...but at least now, she wouldn't have to go through it alone anymore.

Her eyes drifted upward, and she could see a strange-looking little plant hanging above them. It had green leaves, and little red berries attached it. In fact, she could see a couple of them around. "...Jack...hee hee...Jack...what's that?" She pointed up to it.

"Hmm?" Jack asked between kisses at first, more focused on the loveliness of kissing her face than anything else. He managed to open his eyes though and then to even stop his kisses for a moment, glancing up at her question and gesture. Then he blinked...and then smiled all sheepishly and cutely, glancing down. "W-Well...that's mistletoe...from Christmas Town. People hang it up because...it's tradition that you're supposed to...well...that you're supposed to..." He smiled more, just lost in the pretty sight of her.

Sally admired the plant for a moment, and then looked back at him with a curious smile. "To...what?"

"You're supposed to kiss underneath it, my Sally darling..." he finished sweetly.

"Oh..." Sally blinked, and realized something. "...We were under it the entire time...and we didn't even know it." She giggled. "I suppose that's kind...ironic, isn't it?"

"Maybe it's the magic and science of Christmas..." suggested Jack with a growing dreamy grin, "If it was...then we way have to change the name of this place to 'Christmas Town 2' because that is officially the most superior holiday." He chuckled.

Sally giggled at that, and then blinked. What did he mean by that? Oh no...a bad feeling was coming to her then...

She brushed it off. She'd think about it tomorrow.

"...Jack...may I ask you something?"

Jack nodded gallantly. "Anything...Any request, consider it granted..." He smiled more at her.

"Oh..." Sally murmured, and scooted closer to him. "Jack...what are we now...?"

Jack blinked and looked at her with a curious smile. "What do you mean, my Sally?"

"I mean...what are we now...to one another...you and I?"

Jack blinked again, his eye sockets going a little wide. "Oh...you mean because of...a-and how we both...um..." He considered. To be honest though, considering Jack's ZERO experience with things like this, he didn't have a hug vocabulary to go along with. "Well, um...you love me...and I love you..." he finally simplified quietly, "Perhaps that makes us...lovers." He looked to her, waiting to see how she might respond to that term.

"...I suppose that's true..." Sally murmured. That did make them lovers, didn't it? She then snuggled against him happily, nuzzling her head into his neck. "It makes us lovers, then..."

A very happy full grin instantly came to Jack's face at her movement. "U-Um...yes...lovers...Jack and Sally...S-Sure, why not?" He chuckled to himself, feeling almost giddy inside. "I like loving..It's nice," he added, his smile only growing.

Jack and Sally...it had such a nice ring to it. She liked it. And felt so happy! "Oh, Jack..." Sally leaned up and kissed his cheek. She then looked at a spidery clock, and made a face. "Oh goodness...it's so late..."

Jack blinked, suddenly feeling his giddiness ebb in the face of reality. He glanced at the clock as well and blinked. Had that much time really passed? It felt like the blink of an eye. He turned back to Sally, looking at her sincerely. "Oh I'm sorry, Sally...Is Dr. Finkelstein expecting you back at a certain time? I should have realized. I'm sorry..." he apologized.

"No! ...Well...actually..." Sally stood up then, hugging herself. "...I...I snuck out."

Jack blinked and stood as well. "Sally..." he looked at her with a touch of concern, "I thought you promised me you'd try not to do that too much...What if he's worried about you?"

_Worried my foot..._ Sally thought, but didn't say. "He wouldn't be. ...I try not to, but he never lets me go out. I hate sneaking around and slipping..." She almost revealed the fact she slipped Deadly Nightshade into his food or tea, and held it back. "I'd...better go."

Jack blinked several times then stepped toward her. "Wait, Sally...but...where will you go? Will you be able to get back into Dr. Finkelstein's house?" he asked with genuine interest and worry.

"I'll sleep outside." Sally murmured, not quite thinking clearly.

Jack's jaw absolutely fell. Then he actually scowled of all things. "Sally..." he started very firmly in a way he had never spoken to her before, "You will NOT sleep outside. It is winter and it is dark and you're alone and you're a person-you will NOT sleep outside."

Her eyes went wide, having never been spoken to like that outside of the doctor.

And yet...it felt so..._alluring_ to see and hear him take charge and just because he was worried, truly caring about her. "...You're right...I suppose I'm not thinking straight. Well, perhaps I can climb back in through my window...it was still left open after I ju-...erm...climbed down on thread." She hated lying, but she had a feeling confessing that she actually jumped out was only going to worry him even more.

The slight scowl still remained on Jack's face. He raised part of his brow, eyeing her very closely. Then he shook his head. "No. Something will happen and you won't be able to get in that way. Then you won't want to bother the doctor to let you in and you won't want to 'bother' me to tell me what happened, and you'll sleep outside. And I already explained that will NOT be happening."

"...Um...then...where should I go? ...I have nowhere else to go..." She uttered, a little nervous at this point. At the same time, his more forceful, stern, authoritative side was still having the same alluring effect on her. It nearly made her lose her balance!

Jack let out a sigh, still trying to seem very stern and professional about all of this, though he couldn't help the tiniest bit of a crack in his voice as he responded simply, "You will stay here for the night. I will make you a bed out here on the couch or if you'd like I can sleep out here and you can take my bed for the night. The point though is that you will NOT spend the night outside." He cleared his throat, doing his best ot glance away nonchalantly, although it was smacking him in the face that he had just told a girl to spend the night at his house for the first time.

Sally blinked. "...What?" She was NOT expecting that. "...Are...are you sure?"

"Of course..." Jack replied with a swallow and a shrug, some of the sterness starting ot leave his face though his tone still remained firm. "As long as you're comfortable with that arrangement of course. Otherwise...I suppose I could escort you home to the doctor's and explain the situation to him, or I could see if the witches are still awake and perhaps you could stay with them at their house for the night. Whatever you would prefer, Sally."

"W-Well I...wouldn't want to bother anyone..." She looked down shyly. "I want to stay with you!" She blurted, and covered her mouth in shock. "Um...I-I mean..."

Hearing those words definitely made Jack lose his composure for a moment: his eye sockets went wide and his breath hitched...but then he exhaled and blinked and went back to his calm seeming self. He gave Sally a small smile and a nod. "A-Alright. You'll stay here then. It's decided. Now, um...would you prefer to sleep on the couch or in my bed...?" Suddenly his eye sockets flew open wide again and he quickly qualified, "I-In my bed while I sleep out on the couch instead of you, of course...heh..."

"I'll take the couch..." Sally said quickly. "It's your bed, I could never...ask you to give it up. After all, it's your room, your privacy..."

Jack shrugged, glancing down shyly. "I-It wouldn't be a bother if you wanted it, Sally, really. You're my guest and a lady...Any service I could ever do you would be my honor. But most importantly I just want you to be comfortable. Would the couch make you more comfortable?" he asked, looking ot her.

"Of course! I mean...I don't even have a couch at home..." She sat back down on it, smiling. "It's more than just fine..."

Jack smiled and nodded, "Alright then..." He picked up the blanket at the end and wrapped it around her a little. "Of course, you can still keep the blanket from my bed to sleep in. I insist..." He gazed warmly and tenderly into her eyes.

Sally smiled in return all the more, and then yawned as she lay on her side, wrapping the blanket around her more. "Thank you so much...goodnight, Jack..." She then rolled onto her back.

Jack swallowed and smiled and shrugged. "Goodnight, Sally..." He hesitated in bashfullness for a moment, but then impulsively leaned down and engaged his mouth to her own once more, not as passionately as the last few times but...he was still lingering at least, nonetheless.

This was what they called a goodnight kiss, wasn't it? Whatever kind of kiss it was referred to, it made her melt none the less. She fought the urge to reach up and touch his skull again, deciding to save that for later. After all, the poor thing was probably tired and wanted to sleep, too! She sat up just a bit and brought her hand to his shoulder, kissing back sweetly.

Jack hadn't really expected her to kiss back but...well...why not? It made him linger more. He had just wanted to give her one last little affectionate goodbye kiss for the night but...why not let it go on just a little longer? After all, they were citizens of Halloween Town and thus by nature creatures of the night...Who cared about staying up a few minutes more...He let out a soft sigh through his nose sockets, his shoulders trembling a little under her touch.

Their kiss lingered for some time, neither of them really knowing how long. While it wasn't as passionate or fiery as before...it was still very sweet so warming. She sighed happily through her nose and now rose herself to her knees on the couch to grant them both better access to each other. Both her hands were on his shoulders now, as she applied sweet and gentle but still noticeable pressure to their kiss.

Jack was starting to kind of not be able to think again. The way she rose up to meet him, how the soft fabric of her lips felt against his skull, they way her fingers so artfully found all the nicest grooves in his shoulder and collar bones to press into...As she rose to meet him, he started to come down to meet her right back, lowering himself to the couch, arms coming snugly around her adorable little body. How did she have this effect on him? It was so strong and so perfect...She was...everything.

Her tiredness from moments ago just seemed to melt away, as she got lost in him yet again. Not nearly as hugely, but still in a loving way. Sally breathed through her nose, gently pressing her little fingers into the grooves of his shoulder bones that she could feel. As soft and gentle as they were now, it was still nothing short of heavenly. A whispery soft version of his name escaped her between kisses.

"O-O-Oh..." was all that managed to escape Jack in a whisper. The way she had just said his name...saying it over and over...He held her more tightly, imprinted his mouth more to hers with every kiss. He loved her, absolutely loved her! He didn't know how this moment could possibly ever end...he wanted it for now, for centuries, forever...

For someone who had never kissed before until tonight, Sally could not deny he was a good kisser. Unsure and maybe a little slow-paced at first, same for her, but she loved the connection none the less. And now, it felt as if it were second nature to them. Her arms now came around his neck, the blanket falling from her shoulders, and she came closer to his body, moaning between kisses.

He really didn't know what he was doing...or what he was doing with her... And why did her responses to everything have to be so perfect, so enticing, so utterly enchanting? And now she was against him, making little moans, arms around him. He felt himself starting to push forward to gently cradle her in his arms, all on instinct. He pressed deeply to her mouth to effect the motion, and now started whispering her name wherever he could as well. "Sally...Sally..."

A little squeak escaped her at hearing the whisper of her name, surprising her a bit. Sally felt the feeling all the more of not knowing what she was doing, it was all on instinct, and prior knowledge to scenes in stories. But even then she couldn't think straight, all that was happening seemed to be an array of mixed up responses and actions. "Jack..."

Jack chuckled a little at the back of his throat, his kisses continuing. "Darling...Sally..." He took a small break for a moment, catching his breath. He was just smiling, looking down at her with his eye sockets half lidded as he cradled her. "S-Sally..." He couldn't even think of anything further to say though. He just gazed down at her with all the adoration he possessed. And he was seriously thinking of diving back upon her mouth for a round two of all of this if something didn't set him to being able to think again, and soon!

"Jack..." Sally cooed, leaning her forehead against his as she brought her arms around him a bit more.

"Arf!" Zero poked his head in again.

Zero's little bark instantly made Jack's eye sockets fly open wide. Even though Zero was a dog...he was pretty much sentient...so it was pretty much like Jack had just been heatedly kissing Sally with a good buddy of theirs in the other room who had now popped his head out, probably to wonder why his master was taking so long to get to bed. Jack gulped and managed to lay Sally down upon the couch and then to sit up and scooch away from her, trying to be calm. "U-Um...well...g-goodnight then, Sally, heh..." He grinned sheepishly and reached out to tuck her in a little. "Sleep tight...I hope the bedbugs come but that they don't bite." Finished tucking her in he pulled back and glanced downward in bashfulness. _'I'm utterly out of my mind, aren't I? It was banging into that candycane pole before I left Christmas Town that did it, wasn't it? Or maybe it was letting them set me on fire during this year's Halloween parade...Or maybe it was something that happened BEFORE the Halloween parade since I actually agreed to the mayor's proposal to SET MYSELF ON FIRE. I suppose though that the point is that I'm insane...a-and yet...'_ He almost smiled to himself. '_Well, I was bound to crack after a few centuries of doing the same thing year after year, I guess...and what a way to crack I picked, indeed. I wonder if you're supposed to enjoy being insane this much? Oh well...half the town has already arguably been psychotic since the beginning so...why the heck not?_' He almost chuckled at his happy little conclusion to himself about this matter.

"Goodnight, Jack...I hope you have pleasant nightmares..." Sally said softly, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She wondered what he was thinking about and why he seemed so...bashful all of a sudden.

"Arf!" Zero came floating into the room. He beckoned his master, and then went over to where Sally lay. He floated up next to her and snuggled into her as a way to say goodnight and that he liked her. Sally giggled and patted his head, and he floated back down. "Arf!"

Smiling more, Jack stood up from the couch, giving Zero's head a pat. "Yes, good boy, Zero...We'll see Sally in the morning." He sighed and then turned his sights to her once again, still smiling in utter adoration. "Goodnight, my...love." He gulped at calling her that, but smiled more at it just the same. "Thank you for the goodnight kiss. I'll see you in the morning..." Jack grabbed his jacket from its place still hanging over the back of the couch, and was about to walk with it into his room, but then paused for a moment and turned back to Sally, and then gently laid and spread out the garment over her blanket. "There we go," he explained, "Just a little extra warmth for you." He winked at her and straightened up and blew her a little kiss.

"...Awww...thank you, Jack..." Sally beamed at him as she sat up just a bit, hugging the blanket and jacket against her. She blew a kiss as well, giggling.

Jack's grin went all goofy and he started to back around the couch and away from her to his bedroom door, giving her a little wave. "Y-You're welcome...uh...Oh!" He half tripped backward over some Christmas decorations. He righted himself quickly, smiling sheepishly and gulping. "Heh...who put those there?" He faked a nervous chuckle. "Well, um...bye, Sally!" And then he quickly slipped into his room and shut the door tightly behind himself, all but holding his breath and absoluely trying not to cringe at how silly he must have looked tripping like that. He sighed to himself. "Insane...utterly insane..." he muttered to himself...and then a smile came to his lips...his freshly kissed over and over and over again lips... "I think I like being insane though..."

He grinned just a touch devilishly to himself as he moved away from the door to prepare for bed...after which he really would get to see his Sally in the morning.

Sally just all but sighed dreamily and squealed softly in happiness. She couldn't help herself! She was so happy! She was in love, and he loved her back! What a wonderful, perfect night...

She touched her freshly kissed lips gently with one hand, and then lay back into the couch, snuggling his jacket and blanket against her. "Jack..." She murmured softly, and then soon went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning came, of course signaled by the crow perched on the rooftop as the sun rose fully. Sally was soon awake, especially as the sun's rays struck her face through the windows. She felt puzzled...where was she? Her bed wasn't normally this narrow, or this...soft.. And...a blanket? And some kind of material, that smelled like...<p>

Her eyes went wide as she sat up, blinking. This wasn't her room. This was...Jack's home?

Sally gently pushed the blanket off her, and managed to stand up. Why was she here? How did she get here? Was...last night really not a dream?

Unless...maybe she passed out after leaving the basket to him, and Jack brought her back here, and she had that dream? Or did she fall asleep at some point when they got here and then dreamed all that?

She wasn't sure. Sally exhaled, holding her chest, feeling as if her heart, if she had one, was racing madly. Dream or no dream, she was in Jack's home...he had let her sleep here... The way he had asserted that she would NOT be sleeping outside...

So _alluring_...

She sighed a little, and then decided to step outside for some air.

Going to the front door, she opened it, and then stepped down the stairs to the front walk. The air was crisp and cool, feeling very refreshing.

"Wow..." She murmured to herself, smiling. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all!

Jack had woken up some time ago actually...he just...hadn't come out of his room or his bed. Or rather, he had stepped out of these things for a moment at his usual early hour, a distinct smile on his face and a little bounce in his step, the orgin of which his head hadn't been able to recall or place right away...until he had walked into his living room and seen a sleeping girl upon his couch, nestled in his usual blanket and snuggling her face against the collar of his jacket. At that point, Jack's eye sockets had shot open wide and in a panic he had just...bailed for his room and closed and all but bolted the door right behind him, diving into his bed in the darkness again. He had been here thinking about things...ones from last night, specificailly, that had started flooding back into his mind now...And he was terrified of leaving this room and facing her, just terrified! The things he had done with her last night, the side of himself he had shown...what would she think of him now that the heat of that moment was over? Would she even still like him anymore? He had to know and yet was too scared to know.

Some time had passed and then he had heard some sounds from outside of his door. She was awake, moving around...Then he heard the stairs creak. 'She's leaving!' He gasped and then flew up out of bed and started changing out of his pajamas and into his clothes as quickly as possible! "No, she can't leave! I...we have to talk!" She had to at least give him the chance to apologize or something! Done, he flung open his bedroom door and raced downstairs as fast as his long legs would carry him, hoping to catch her before she slipped away somewhere!

Sally, unaware of his overwhelmed and panicked state, just walked around the cobblestone pathway near the stairs of his home, and sighed as she breathed in the cool air. She couldn't help but do a little twirl in a bit of a happy dance, but stumbled from imbalance and held up against the wall, giggling.

"Oh dear...let's not do that again." She said softly to herself.

"Sally!" Jack suddenly exclaimed, bursting forth from his front door and looking around desperately and he was still tyring to put on his second coat sleeve, and also his bat bowtie was very askew and half untied, and he really did look a bit more dishevelled than usual. "Sally!" His eyes lit on her and he ran toward her, still trying to get himself together. "Wait! Don't go! I'm sorry! I'm so very sorry!" he called after her desperately as he approached her now, feeling so very fearful.

"Jack!" Sally cried in surprise, her eyes wide. ...And then melted into a very confused and amused look at his disheveled appearance. But then she was concerned, wondering why he seemed so...scared. "Jack...what's wrong? Why are you sorry? And...go? Go where? I'm not...I wasn't...oh." She realized he must've assumed she was leaving. "...Oh...Jack...I'm not leaving. I just came outside for some air. That's all."

Jack stopped abruptly right before her, his jacket now on but not buttoned, bowtie still slighlty askew, and a puzzled look on his face at first. "W-Wait..." he started, catching his breath, "So...you're...not leaving? A-And you're not...angry with me?" He had to ask, just to be sure.

"Of course not, Jack. Why would I be?" Sally smiled, and then went over to him, fixing his little mess. She straightened his bat tie, buttoned his jacket (there was only one button), and smoothed out any wrinkles or other askew little messes. She didn't know why she did that, but just felt so compelled to take care of him like that.

Jack's breath caught in his throat and his spine straightened up at her little touches and fixes to his person. And she was doing it so casually, so sweetly, like this is what she was supposed to be doing or something...like it was a little job of hers, special and only for Sally. He gulped. "I-I..." he started to try and explain, his eye sockets still wide in surprise and...other feelings too, "I thought...maybe...you were sad...about all the stuff we did...last night. So you were leaving..." She was all done and now Jack just stood there, as bashful as could be, feeling all trembly and warm all over.

Indeed, Sally felt as if it was perfectly natural to fix him up like that. She didn't feel awkward, and didn't even know how she thought of it. It just came to her, and she felt compelled to do it. She liked it...

"Oh, Jack...of course not. I'm not sad, or upset...I mean..." Now she realized that what happened last night was not a dream. None of it. It really happened. "So...I wasn't dreaming at all, was I?" She said it more like a statement than a question.

Jack gulped and just shook his head. "N-No, it...was real. Heh..." He smiled sheepishly, taking a shy step back from her. "I-I mean, either that or we both dreamed the same thing, heh heh..." He tugged at his collar a little, all those memories of last night really hitting him...imagining how he must have looked with his arms wrapped around her and his mouth pressed to hers ceaselessly...

Sally giggled, stepping back a bit too. "Well...anyway...I'm sorry I worried you. I probably should have waited for you to wake up and let you know what I was doing."

Jack shook his head, his eyes going wide again. "No, no! It...It's perfectly alright. I...I should have been up hours ago anyway seeing if you were comfortable and making you breakfast and talking to you about this...It's my fault entirely."

"No! It's not!" She exclaimed loudly, and then stepped back again, blushing. "No, I was irresponsible and I should have told you where I was going."

Jack shook his head again. "No, no, Sally, it..." He sighed, and then he reached out and took her hands in his, looking into her eyes. "Sally, it doesn't matter anyway...The point is we're here together now and...you're...not angry with me..." He smiled a little at that thought and the wonderful relief it brought him. She still liked him! He thrilled inside!

Sally beamed, smiling then as she felt relief sweep over her. "Of course I'm not angry at you...If anything, I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire...existence." She batted her eyelashes again, not knowing she was doing that.

Jack's smile grew a lot at the gesture with her eyes. He felt his spine slouch a little in utter happiness. "Really, Sally?" he asked with a deep sigh. "I...I'm happy too..." He gulped. "You're pretty in the morning..." he suddenly said, not even realizing it had popped out of him.

This made her giggle and look down shyly. "Thank you..." She came to realize that her hair was a little disheveled, since some messy strands now got into her face thanks to the breeze, and her dress was wrinkled a bit. Then again, she slept in this thing all the time, so it was no wonder it was rumpled.

"You're welcome..." he sighed out happily. And wow, she really was adorable... He went forward and gently reached out a bony hand to push a single strand of her long, beautifully falling hair behind one of her ears. "Hmm..." he sighed out. Then he moved lower to gently move over and smooth out one of the shoulders and little sleeves of her dress. "They sunlight makes you look pretty, Sally..." he suddenly observed, "The moonlight is usually what everyone around here looks best in but not you...You look pretty in the moonlight, but on top of that you glow in the sunlight..." He smiled happily.

Sally was awestruck, not just by his words, but applying a little grooming of his own to her. She blushed, though figuratively, and looked away shyly. "I...um...well I...um..." She had no idea what to say in response! "Thank you..."

Jack chuckled goofily, unable to help it-WHY was she so very...intoxicating. "You're very welcome. Now would you like to come inside and I'll make you breakfast. We could eat together...Please...for the sake of an old Pumpkin King like me?" He smiled charmingly at her.

"You're not old." Sally giggled. "At least...not to me. ...And yes...I'd love to. I'll be right inside, okay?"

Jack nodded. "Okay then..." and then he reached out a hand and took one of hers, upon which he lifted it up and gave it a gentle kiss before lowering it. "Please don't keep me waiting too long..." He winked at her and then began to backstep his way back to the house entrance, waving to her all the while.

"Of course not." Sally promised, waving back at him. "I'll only be a minute."

"I'll be counting the seconds...See you soon..." He winked at her and then stepped inside, gently closing the front door behind him.

Sally giggled, leaning up against the wall near the gate with elation. Last night had really happened! She loved Jack, and he loved her too! She hugged herself, walking toward the gate as she looked up at the sky, sighing dreamily.

A few more moments passed, and then nearby, at a distance, she heard a familiar voice.

"You! You haven't seen Sally anywhere?"

Sally's eyes went wide. "Dr. Finkelstein..."

"Nope! Not at all!" Replied who she assumed was Clown.

"Urgh...that wretched girl! ...Perhaps Jack might know..."

She could hear his electric wheelchair approaching the gate! "Oh no!" She uttered, and looked for a place to hide. Spotting some bushes near the corner, she quickly ducked down behind them.

Looking back up at the house, she suddenly saw the front door open and Jack came out as the doctor wheeled up the front walk.

"Jack Skellington, my boy! How are you this morning?" The doctor greeted.

Sally ducked down lower, peeking through a small gap, hoping she wasn't seen.

Jack blinked, a little surprised to see the doctor, but then just smiled happily at him. "Oh hello, Dr. Finkelstein! I'm doing...just splendidly!" He let out a content and happy breath. "And how are you today?" he asked politely and with a slight bow.

"Oh quite all right, though a nasty headache!" Dr. Finkelstein said, shaking his head. "Though as much as I'd like to chat, I'm in a little pickle. Sally's run off again! The third time this month, I tell you. Always slipping that dastardly Deadly Nightshade into my tea and running off! You haven't seen her around at all last night, or this morning, have you?"

Sally gasped from behind the bushes. This wasn't good. Now Jack knew her secret! He was going to be furious with her. No, she had to get out of here, right now.

Spotting a way out, Sally slipped through the bushes and made her way to it without them noticing her.

Jack's eye sockets went wide. "She..._what_?" he asked in disbelief, quite certain he couldn't have heard right.

"I know! Strange to hear, isn't it, my boy?" Dr. Finkelstein shook his head again. "Wretched girl...I created her, gave her a place to live and sleep, I even gave her enough needle and thread to keep herself together to remake herself ten times! But oh, when I turn my back, she slips that Deadly Nightshade into my food or drinks and then runs off to who-knows-where! And now she's gone again!" He sighed. "I'm terribly sorry to bother you about this, my boy. Have you seen her at all?"

Jack blinked. "I..." Now, Jack had a problem. He did not lie. Ever. Literally. Centuries and the closest he ever came was gently walking a fine line with his fangirls between not wanting to tell them he didn't find them appealing but still trying not to hurt their feelings. But, for better or worse, he was the King...and these were his citizens..He couldn't lie to one of them and especially for selfish reasons like his own personal pleasure. "I..." he took a breath and did his best to walk a fine line again, "Dr. Finkelstein, why don't I help you in your search for Sally-it'll go more quickly with two people looking instead of one..." Jack had some ideas about where she would be most likely to go-quiet places on the outskirts of town...And so... "Why don't you continue searching through the town and talking to the citizens, and I'll check on the outskirts...The graveyard, the pumpkin patch, the spiral hill, the woods...And if I find her, I'll be sure she comes home." And he really did mean that-all of it.

Dr. Finkelstein gave a nod. "Thank you, my boy. I appreciate your help. I'll make sure she pays for wasting your time like this, but well...I suppose children will be children." He reversed himself through the gate.

Jack cleared his throat and hoped his voice didn't sound TOO riddled with guilt as he called after the doctor, "Don't worry, doctor! I'm sure this is all just a...misunderstanding! We'll find her and she can explain everything." He gave a small smile, waving after the doctor, and then instantly cringed to himself in nervousness. '_Oh boy_...' What had he gotten himself into?

Meanwhile, Sally was indeed in the graveyard, hiding behind one of the bigger tombstones, out of sight and further away from the gate. Her arm had fallen off in the commotion of her running, and she couldn't find it now. She sat there, stuffing leaves into the hollow socket, sighing and crying to herself.

_Jack knows...He knows I not only snuck out all the time, and even snuck out when I promised him I wouldn't...but now he knows that I slipped Deadly Nightshade to the doctor... He'll be so ashamed of me. _She sniffled, looking down mournfully. _At least...I did have one night of happiness with him... Even if he'll never take me back after this..._

Jack had been racing to and through the outskirts of town for several minutes now. First he had perused the pumpkin patch: no Sally. He had glanced up at spiral hill: she wasn't there. He decided to take a walk down through the graveyard next. He had to find her, just HAD to! He needed to see her and talk with her and-"Whoa!"

And suddenly he was on the ground, having fallen forward after tripping over something. Jack blinked several times and sat up and turned to look to his feet. His eye sockets flew wide open. He had tripped over...and arm. A cloth arm stuffed with leaves... '_Sally's arm_...' He reached out and took the arm gently in his hands. This meant Sally was here, or had been recently...but where exactly? Jack sighed, missing her terribly all of a sudden. He gently touched a seam of the arm with one of his fingertips, moving along it. "Can Sally feel this, wherever she is? Will she know where you are if she does? Will she come find you...?" he asked the little arm quietly.

The arm twitched, and then waved at him.

Sally blinked, feeling a strange sensation coming from her...arm hollow? No, that meant someone found her arm. But who? Did Dr. Finkelstein find it? Someone in town? ...Or Jack? She shuddered, and tried to will her arm to get away.

Her arm then tried to escape, but then stopped and then made motions as if to try to get up.

Jack observed all of this curiously. Instantly though upon seeing any indication of the arm trying to abandon him, he reached out and held onto it. "Little arm...if you're going to go away...I'm coming with you. Lead me where we should go please. Please...I miss Sally..." he finished, a sad little look in his eyes...

The arm, if it could express emotion, seemed as if it took sympathy. The little hand reached up and touched his cheek, gently.

Sally blinked as she could feel what her arm was touching...something hard, but smooth. She recognized that feeling...after all, her hands had been all over it last night...it was Jack, his face! He HAD found her arm after all. She tensed. What then? Was he trying to find her out of disgust? ...Or was he worried?

The arm then pointed a finger toward the graveyard.

As nervous as she was...she did kind of need her arm back...

Jack followed the direction of the arm, all the while feeling more and more nervous as his approach continued. What to say to her-he hadn't even thought about that. He had been more focused on finding her first. But he supposed, thinking about it, the main goals he had to accomplish, besides locating her, were hearing what she had to say about this 'deadly nightshade' thing, and also getting her home to Dr. Finkelstein before she got into even more trouble with him.

He just hoped Sally wouldn't sense the approach of him and her arm and run off again. He really wanted this settled and also...he was a tiny bit worried about the idea of her lingering out here by herself for too long. She was beautiful and trusting and not exactly the scariest creature in town...and Oogie Boogie wasn't far from here...and Dr. Finkelstein had been shouting Sally's absence all over town. How long might it take the horrid creature to put two and two together and go out hunting for her as well...

Jack shook his head to clear it of these bad thoughts and continued following the arm...that had touched his face so gently...Sally's touch...No matter the situation, it soothed and calmed him so dearly. He loved it...just like he loved her...no matter what.

It wasn't long before her arm led to a large tombstone in the gaveyard, and Sally peeked out from behind it a bit, looking very scared. She made her arm wave at her, for old time's sake, and as an indication.

Suddenly the little arm Jack was holding and following not only stopped...it waved at something ahead. He looked ahead instantly, and the single flash of rust red yarn he saw go behind a tombstone was enough-he had found her. Jack picked up the arm in both hand, holding it gently and caressing it along its seams with one of his bony fingers in an effort to soothe and comfort it...and to provide the same to Sally if she could feel things in this arm. He swallowed and then took a breath. He got near the tombstone behind which he had seen the hair disappear. Then he called out, clearing his throat, in a quiet voice, "Sally...I'd like you to come out. I have something of yours...and I need to talk to you as well."

Sally froze at the sound of him calling her out. Yep, he had found her...and oh! He was...caressing the seams on her arm, she could feel it... She was weakening under that, and felt...strangely comforted. Then calling her out. He didn't sound angry, or disgusted, or disappointed. It was calm, quiet, but with mild authority thrown in that she HAD to listen.

Quietly, Sally stood up, holding onto the tombstone with her only arm, balancing herself, as she came around, making her appearance known.

"Yes..." She said softly, looking down at the ground in shame.

Her arm waved at her again, before settling.

Jack swallowed and did his best not to smile at the arm sweetly waving to its owner. This wasn't a time for levity after all. "Hello Sally...You ran away from me..." It left his mouth before he could think to stop it. At least the tone had been level and calm and not confrontational but still...it felt like an awfully blunt way to begin. And yet, with how...confused he felt at the moment about things, maybe it was the best way to start after all.

It hit her hard then. She did run away. Just as she always had been before...just like with the doctor. Running away from her problems.

"Yes..." She said softly, still not looking up.

Her severed arm made a naughty motion by wagging its finger, and then smacked her other arm as if to say, _"Way to go, idiot."_

Jack blinked at the sight of this and then frowned and scowled a little at the arm in his arms, restraining it gently. "Now, now, none of that..." He stroked it tenderly with his fingertips again for a moment.

Her severed arm seemed to recoil in shame, before giving a little wave to the rest of her body as if to say there was no hard feelings.

_I shouldn't do that, then..._ She thought to herself, her gaze still downcast. "...I'm sorry..." Was all she could say.

Those words caught Jack's attention and he looked up, ceasing his soothing touches to her arm for a moment. "Sally...you haven't just been sneaking out...you've been drugging the doctor. Why didn't you tell me that?" Now he was starting to feel sort of hurt...She hadn't really lied to him about it...but technically she had. "I thought we...that we...were closer than that..." he finished in a quiet whisper, going back to focusing on his gentle touches to her arm again.

"I...I was...I didn't... I was ashamed to say it. I slipped Deadly Nightshade to the doctor to put him to sleep...so I could sneak out...since he would never, ever let me go out. I'd ask him and he'd say no...I was tired of it and resorted to trickery and sneaking around. ...I was afraid to tell you because I knew you would be disappointed in me...for doing such a thing. But, I won't run away anymore. I'll...take full responsibility for this now...I'm sorry I didn't tell you. ...I should have..." Tears now spilled from her eyes, still gazing down at the ground, her shoulders shaking from sobbing.

Jack's eye sockets flew open and he lost all selfish emotions and instantly all of his focus and concern was on her. "Sally!" He was up against her, holding her close, he had put her arm on the ground, and he was doing his best to look into her eyes. "Sally! Sally please stop! It's alright, Sally! Shh..." He held her tenderly, stroking her hair with one of his hands. "It'll be okay..." he whispered comfortingly.

Sally gave a gasp at this, her eyes wide and her tears stemming their flow. Was he...? Did he...? She was at loss for words. It didn't help that she melted in his embrace and snuggled against him, her remaining arm limp at her side. "You're...not mad...?" She sniffled.

"I'm...a little upset with you...I suppose...I don't like lying, Sally...and I don't want you to ever lie to me again. Do you understand?" He spoke these sentences calmly and quietly and in that same comforting and tender tone he had just been using, and the whole time he held her close and did his best to soothe her still, his hand still gently going through her hair.

She nodded, looking down again. "I...I won't lie...I promise you. I shouldn't have lied like I did...it was foolish of me. But I won't ever do that again. ...And I won't sneak out, either. ...Then again, I don't think the doctor will ever let me out again. ...Well, I suppose I deserve that."

Jack considered this. It was a very difficult situation. "I...think the doctor would be more inclined to let you out if you didn't sneak out...at least, not like this. But I don't think you deserve to be trapped inside forever either. But I can't agree with you drugging the doctor like this all the time. But...I guess...guess how you and the doctor handle things is more of a 'family' affair and not my business to interfere in... The only point I think I have a right to make is that I don't want you to lie to me anymore, Sally...It hurts me..." A very sad frown came to his face as he admitted that last point.

Utterly ashamed at lying to the only person in the entire world who mattered to her, a soft sniffle escaped her as tears ran down her face. "I know it hurts...and it hurts me too... I'm sorry... I'll never lie to you ever again...I promise with all that I have..."

Jack hugged her extra tightly, snuggling against her, hoping to make the tears go away. "Thank you. I believe you. I believe you, my Sally..." For a moment he just held her and they stood there in the quiet of the graveyard, just loving each other.

"...Thank you, Jack...thank you...I'll make it up to you, I promise..." Sally whispered, feeling a little better, though still guilty.

She felt a tug on her sock, and then looked down to see her severed arm waving up at her as if to say, _"Remember me?"_

"You don't have to make it up to me, Sally...I love you. That's all that matters..." Jack smiled at her. Then he noticed the movement of her hand out of the corner of his eye socket and looked down at it the little arm. "Oh, allow me..." He bent down and picked up the arm carefully. He observed it sweetly, gently dragging a fingertip down one of its seams again. "Now how could you leave your precious mistress for so long, my little limb? Sally needs you for so much, and I know she loves you tenderly..." He smiled more, and looked to Sally. "May I assist you with reattaching it, Sally?" he asked sincerely.

Sally blinked, and felt herself hold back giggles at how he was talking to her arm like that. She had lost her arm thanks to the gate, because she had run and tore through...which caused her arm to get caught and then rip right off.

"Um...well...sure..." She giggled then at how he was running a fingertip along the seam. She took the needle she kept behind her ear, and then reached into her pocket to produce the spool of dark blue thread she carried around.

Jack looked at the items with pleasant interest and then took the needle from her and eyed it in the sunlight. "So...this might be a stupid question but the needle doesn't hurt you when you sew yourself, I take it?" He turned his sights back to her again.

Sally shook her head. "Not at all. Otherwise...It would be rather paintful for me to put myself back together if I lose a limb...no, I can't feel pain at all. Discomfort, maybe, but it never hurts."

Jack nodded. "Just making sure. And also I...like learning everything about you I possibly can...You fascinate me even more than Christmas, I believe, my Sally..." He reached out now and took the spool of thread from her. He eyed the two items in his hand for a moment...and then a sheepish little frown came to his face. "Um...so how does one...er...prepare the needle, I guess...?" he asked in embarrassed puzzlement, never having, well..sewed a thing in his entire existence, he suddenly realized.

"Well, you insert the end of the thread through the eye of the needle." She explained. "You can hold it up toward the light to get a better look at where the eye is. Then once you have it through, you make a loop in the thread near the end of it, so it won't slip out through the eye once you sew."

Jack nodded. It seemed simple enough. "Alright..." He gulped, hoped he would do it right, and then did his best to follow her instructions. It took him a few tries but he finally got the needle threaded. He held it up with a proud smile. "I did it!" He beamed a little in happiness at his accomplishment and looked to Sally. "Alright, so..where do I start stitching, and also...how?" He shrugged with a sheepish smile. "I really am sorry, Sally...It's that whole 'bachelor lifestyle' with Zero. Mostly I'm just impressed we keep the house half way clean and manage to feed ourselves every day, heh..."

"It's all right..." Sally smiled, and held her severed arm against the hollow socket, holding it in place. "I understand...I went through the same when the doctor had to teach me how to sew. It takes practice, that's all... You can start anywhere. But start from the front. Insert the pointed end of the needle through the material of my severed arm, and then pull the thread through the hole."

Jack nodded. "A-Alright..." He examined the area very closely and then slowly went and did as Sally instructed...and before he knew it he had completed the first stitch. He smiled in happiness! "I did it, Sally!" He began to do more of them, slowly but surely. They weren't as straight and neat and small and perfect as Sally's on other parts of her body, of course, but they were solid and functionable nonetheless. "Thank you for teaching me, Sally..." Jack added appreciatively as he went on with this task.

"You're welcome..." Sally smiled as she observed his handiwork. Indeed, the work of an amateur, but she didn't look down on him for it in the least. He was trying his best, and frankly, the work was solid and she could definitely function with it. "You're doing very well for a first timer...It took me a few practices to be sufficient enough."

Jack smiled just a little bashfully. "S-Sally..." he gently remonstrated, his bones starting to warm a little at her small compliment.

She giggled in response. "Sometimes if I'm reattaching an arm, I have to use my teeth to pull the thread through, to try to attach it better once all the stitches are in place, since it normally wouldn't be close and supported to the source point... It's...kind of nice to have someone helping me."

Jack smiled even more to himself, gently turning her arm to put more stitches in around the curve of it. "Well, it's...nice to help you, Sally. You're very special to me...I love to take care of you..." He gulped. "Um...Sally...can I tell you something...?" He didn't bring his eyes up to meet hers, a big smile still upon his face.

A little appreciative giggle escaped her before she voiced her curiosity. "What is it?"

Jack let out a little sigh, trying not to let his fingers fumble at how the sound of her giggle made him tremble a little. "Well, um...I...it might be irresponsible of me to admit this...but I...I want to be very honest with you, so, um...a-although I wasn't very happy about hearing so suddenly and unexpectedly about you and Dr. Finkelstein and the Deadly Nightshade...part of me was...a tiny bit flattered about it all..." He cleared his throat a little, doing his best to focus all of his attention on his stitching.

"...What?" Sally blinked, now looking at him, very confused. "...I...I'm afraid I don't understand."

Jack shrugged. "Well I...I mean...you went and did something like that last night...all to sneak out to see...me. You must...care about me like crazy to have gone and done something like that. I never had anyone do anything like that about me before...So that's what I meant, about being flattered...just a little..."He shrugged once again, still focusing very specifically on his sewing.

"...Oh..." Sally contemplated what he was saying, thinking that over. It was strange to hear, considering the disappointment expressed toward her in not only lying, but sneaking out, sneaking out after promising NOT to, and drugging the doctor...and yet he found it flattering. It didn't overshadow the more...negative outputs of it, but it was there. "...I see... Well it is true, I did care about you that much and was more motivated to...well, explore the outside world when normally I couldn't."

Jack nodded. "I understand, Sally...and that makes a lot of sense, wanting to explore...to...get away from the same old thing day after day...year after year...century after centur-uh..." Jack cleared his throat in a touch of embarrassment, realizing that somehow or other there he had definitely stopped talking in regards to Sally's problems... "Um, well...yes, as I said, I'm a touch flattered and I understand you're reasons for doing things like this, but more importantly it's dangerous to do to the doctor too often and it's not okay to lie about it...especially to someone who loves you." He gave a little affirming nod as he finished things up, and coincidentally he was now on his last stitch. He made a knot in the thread and then gave it a gentle tug, breaking it off. "There, good as new."

Testing her arm, she held it out forward, the side, bent it, raised it, and lowered it, and wiggled her fingers. She smiled, it was just right. "Thank you, Jack... It's perfect." Now she never wanted to remove this arm again!

Jack smiled happily. "Perfect? Really? Well, I'm glad, Sally, and of course you're welcome. I'm just happy you're all better..." He placed the needle and thread into her lap, and then took the hand of the arm he had just reattached and gave it a gentle kiss. "You have cute arms, Sally..." he added with a chuckle.

Taking the thread, she placed it back in her pocket, and tucked the needle behind her ear. She giggled at his gesture, looking away a bit. "Thank you..."

Jack smiled a little more, still gazing at her arm. "You're welcome..." Then he shifted to move to sitting beside her near the grave. "Sally..." he started quietly, wishing he didn't have to bring this up but knowing it couldn't be ignored.

"Yes...?" Now she looked down at her lap, rubbing her newly re-attached arm a bit nervously.

Jack sighed and looked over at her. "Sally...you have to go back...to the town...and to Dr. Finkelstein... You know that, right?" he asked quietly.

"...Yes, that's true." Sally murmured, and nodded. "...I won't run away this time. I'll go back." She still had a pretty good feeling that the doctor was either going to dismember her or keep her locked away forever, but at least she would be doing the right thing by going back.

Jack nodded and smiled a little. "Okay. Of course, I...I don't want you to be unhappy, Sally, but...you can't stay out here forever, always running from the doctor...It's cold and lonely out here and...it can be dangerous. I just want you to come back and try and work things out so you can be safe." He smiled more at her. "And...well...by coming back, I hope you know that if you ever are very upset or unhappy...I'll be there to care for you...and even more than usual, so to speak..." He had taken her arm in his hands again and was gently tracing along the seams of it with the tip of one of his bony fingers once more.

A little giggle escaped her at the ticklish feeling. "...You're right, Jack. I'll...I'll remember that."

Jack chuckled a little at her cute giggle. "I should hope so..." he replied, his voice lowering a little and his grin picking up... "...After all...I don't know about you, but...I certainly don't want my first kiss to have been my last..." He smiled even more to himself, focusing on playing with one particular little stitch right in the groove of her elbow joint.

"...I...I certainly don't want that, either..." Sally agreed, giggling more at his ministrations. "Stop it...that tickles..."

Jack blinked, his eye sockets going wide and his face going blank for a moment...and then his eyes narrowed and his grin grew devilishly wide. "Oh really?..." He started to use two fingers to gently stroke one after the other over those stitches in the crook of her elbow. "It tickles, Sally? Are you certain?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Sally had a look on her face that clearly said "Uh-oh..." and she bit her lip. "...I really shouldn't have said that..."

"No, no, I like finding out new things about you..." Jack assured, shifting forward and gazing mischievously into her eyes. "And well...this is a perfect excuse for us to... 'get closer' so..." He gently traced a single fingertip up once seam of her upper arm, as high as her short sleeve patchwork dress would allow him to take it, and then gently pulled it away.

"Um...well, now you know, so...we can move on now, yes?" Sally scooted away a little, holding her arm as some kind of measly shield.

Jack tilted his head to the side with a curious smile. Then he faked a small pout as he replied, "So...you don't want me to touch you then, Sally?" he asked, moving about as close to her as he could.

"Um...well I...yes...but um..." Sally scooted back along the ground, her hands supporting her. "I'm just very ticklish..."

Jack just smiled even more, scooching extra close to her again. "Well, isn't that a coincidence..._you're_ very ticklish...and I love to hear you _laugh_..." His grin was wide and his eye sockets were half lidded.

Her eyes went wide. "No no no no...please don't...don't tickle me..." _Me and my big mouth..._

Jack gulped, though the grin on his face remained, as he said...worrying about his boldness but going for it nonetheless... "Your lips say no...but your beautifully stitched body says..." He let the observation hang.

"Noooo!" Sally squealed, and fell down from leaning too far back. She sat up, supported by her hands, and crab-walked backwards. "Please don't tickle me? I just get nervous. Igor likes to tickle me all the time...and sometimes he goes at it for over a minute until it hurts to laugh... Maybe I was just a little scared."

Jack blinked and his jaw even fell a little in surprise. Then he frowned and scowled a little bit, glancing down. "Igor tickles you...?"

"Yes...why?" Now Sally looked puzzled as she sat up all the more. It was true that the doctor's assistant, who was as close to nice to her, did like to tickle her. So much so that it would hurt to laugh. The idea of being tickled by someone she loved, however, despite nerve-wracking, was still pretty alluring. "I mean... You can, if you want to...I suppose I just have to put my trust in you...you know? I'm sorry I freaked out...I think I might have to get my stuffing examined. You know?" She giggled a little, trying to lighten the mood. "...What's wrong?" She asked in concern. "...Was it something I said? If that's it, I'm sorry...please tell what I said wrong, and I won't say it again, I promise..."

Jack blinked and shook his head. "No! You didn't say anything wrong, I just...well, I..." He crossed his long arms over his chest, that frustrated look growing on his features again. "I don't think I like the idea of...another man tickling you, is all..." he finally finished with small gulp, really thoroughly despising the notion, as a matter of fact. Someone else's hands touching her cute little seams and stitches...He sighed deeply to himself, and wished the uncomfortable image to leave his mind.

Sally blinked, completely taken aback. What was going on here? Either she was going crazy...or Jack was..._jealous_. "Um...Jack...forgive me for saying this, so correct me if I'm wrong...but um...you're...jealous, aren't you?"

Jack's eye sockets flew open wide and he twitched and his breath caught in this throat. "I...I...I-I don't know!" he quickly exclaimed, needing to think over this new concept for a moment. Jealous...jealous...well... "W-Well...I...h-how would you feel if...I don't know, if you found out I was getting tickled by the witches every so often or something?" He glanced away with a little pout.

"...I suppose I would be very jealous..." Sally confessed. "Oh, Jack...I'm so sorry it bothers you." She scooted closer. "Please don't be mad... I'm sorry. If it makes you any better...as nervous as I am about being tickled at all...I always wished it were you. And now that it's actually happening, I suppose it overwhelmed me a bit."

Jack sighed and shook his head, speaking sympathetically. "No, no, Sally, don't apologize, it's not your fault Igor he bothers you like that...and I probably don't have much of a right to be upset about it anyway considering...you know...last night was the firt night we were...together..." He gulped in a touch of shyness. "It's just that I..." And then Jack paused and his eye sockets went very wide as something finally fully processed. "Y-You...always wished it was me t-tickling you?" he suddenly asked, his voice cracking a little as he did so.

"No, I understand you're...well, a little jealous. Even I would be..." Sally then realized what she'd said and looked down again. "Um...well I...um...yes." There was no sense denying that now.

"O-Oh." and then he started to look down and smile bashfully, "W-Well, it's...nice to know I-I was being thought of..." He almost chuckled to himself-Sally really had liked him very much and for a very long time, hadn't she? The idea made him smile.

Feeling a little braver, Sally scooted up beside him and held his shoulders, nuzzling her head against his. "More than you know, Jack..."

Oh boy-Jack's bones got that trembly feeling again and started to instantly warm at her touch...and his skull practically felt like it would melt at the contact with her soft, cloth cheeks and warm yarn hair... "I-I, um..." he gulped, still with a big bashful, shy grin on his face, "I-I'm flattered...A-And for what it's worth, I...I wish I could have really been the one tickling you all those times..." He nuzzled his skull against her head a little. "Oh Sally..." he whispered, just for the sack of whispering it.

"Jack..." Sally murmured, and giggled. "Well...you still can...if you want to. I squeal quite a bit, though...it's a little loud when I do that."

"Y-Y-You...s-s-squeal...?" his voice barely cracked out in total shyness. He was all but shaking at this point in nervousness and...desire. And she had giggled again...Heck, she had even just said his name again! That was mroe than enough to send him over the edge at this point.

"When I laugh a lot...especially from tickling...I kind of squeal a bit..." Sally recalled all those times the doctor's assistant would tickle her, enough to make her fall down and how she'd start squealing so loud, that the doctor would wheel into the room and demand that they stop making so much. "...I think I may have broken a few test tubes and beakers because of it..." She admitted sheepishly.

"S-S-S-Sally..." He was totally slouched now in lovesickness and he really almost couldn't handle it anymore-the idea of her giggling to the point of squealing...his hands touching all over her cute little seams...and her moving and shifting so much under his grasp that she would possibly even break things? He gulped, absolutely dazed with love. "Why must you tempt me so?" he finally managed to whisper in total bashfulness, chuckling a tiny bit to himself as he continued to daydream about her a little.

"...Tempt...? Tempting...? I'm about as tempting as a dead leaf." She giggled, shaking her head.

Jack gulped, unable to check his words anymore. He was still smiling and gazing forward with half lidded eye sockets. "You're the most tempting creature I've ever encountered in centuries of existence...If any other woman had done to me half the things you did last night I would have run away in discomfort and modesty...but when you did those things...all I wanted was to do them back to you. Every movement you make enchants me, every little unique stitch of you fascinates me, every little giggle and joke you make warms my bones...and I can't be near you anymore without wanting to hold and kiss you...You are tempting, Sally...The most tempting woman in the world for me..." He finished with a shuddery sigh, feeling the relief of getting all of that out of him.

Sally blinked, feeling as if she was going to collapse! Or burst at the seams! To think she could inflict such feelings into him... "Oh, Jack...I...I... You tempt me, too...You have since the moment I met you... Everything about you fascinates me...and everything that happened last night...was nothing short of a wonderful nightmare come true."

She kissed his cheek, and then sat down completely, snuggling against him. Noticing a dead flower, she smiled and plucked it, admiring it for a moment before plucking its petals gently.

Jack smiled in utter happiness. He just gazed at her plucking petals from the cute little flower in her cute little hand... "I...Well, for an old skeleton I'm...v-very happy I can still tempt a beautiful young lady..." He gulped and then asked sweetly, "Are you plucking the petals and saying to yourself 'he loves me, he loves me not'?" He chuckled a little at the cute idea.

"Maybe..." Sally giggled. "I know it's silly, but I suppose I...didn't know what else to do back then..." She plucked another petal.

"Not silly..." Jack whispered sweetly, "Adorable...just like everything else about my Sally...when she's not being more tempting than a pumpkin pie on Halloween, that is..." He chuckled.

Sally giggled again, and was about to pluck another petal, but the flower trembled a bit. Its remaining petals and pistil retracted into itself and then...transformed into a little Christmas tree! "Oh!" She exclaimed. It was complete with ornaments and a golden star, and started to gently rotate in a circle.

Jack blinked and his mouth went into a small 'o' shape. "Sally...how did you do that?" he asked in utter puzzlement.

"I don't know..." Sally blinked in amazement. "It just...did that."

Suddenly, the rotating little tree stopped, and much to their surprise, it caught on fire! The fire burned for a few moments and then dissipated, leaving the burnt remains.

Sally gaped at it, her jaw dropped. What had just happened? But moreover, what did it mean? Whatever it was...she had a bad feeling about it.

Jack blinked in a great degree of curiosity at the sight, a little gasp almost escaping him. "S-Sally...?" he merely whispered curiously, his eye sockets still upon the burnt up tree.

"...Yes?" Sally responded, not taking her eyes off the burnt tree, before she gently placed it back down on the ground, raising her knees up to her chest.

Jack just blinked and then slowly turned to look at her again. "I...I don't understand..." he said simply and truthfully, genuinely perplexed right now.

"...Neither do I..." Sally blinked, clutching her knees now as she tried all she could to make sense of this. She bit her lip, trying to figure out just what that burning tree meant, and moreover, why it did that. How? Why? What? She sighed, unable to find any kind of an answer.

Until it hit her.

"Christmas is going to be a disaster!" She realized, holding her head. "I think...I think that's what it meant...smoke and fire...oh no...! Something terrible is going to happen..."

Jack blinked several times in surprise at her sudden exclamation but then smiled reassuringly at her, shaking his head. "Oh, no, no, Sally...That's not _my_ Christmas! My Christmas will be full of laughter and joy! Don't worry about it, Sally-I have the whole thing planned down to the last detail." He winked at her.

"Oh, but..." Sally looked nervous and worried by now. "...Never mind." She looked down, discouraged, and wondering if this was some kind of premonition or an elaborate prank. "We...we should go back now...shouldn't we?"

Jack sighed and nodded. "Yes, we should...but first..." A devilish grin returned to his face and his eyes narrowed...and then instantly he had pounced upon her on the ground and was tickling in all the cute little seams that he could (within the bounds of modesty) get his bony hands upon. He chuckled warmly to himself the entire time, trying to go easy on her but also just...loving this so insanely!

"Nooooooooooooo!" Sally laughed, squirming and writhing beneath his grasp. She laughed more and more, snorting once, and then squealing. "Noooooo!"

Jack all but shuddered at her cute little laughs and squeals! So, so, so very tempting, his Sally...He kept tickling her. "Yes...!" He winked down at her.

Sally squealed between laughs, still wiggling and squirming. "Nooooooo! Stooooopp! I surrender! Noooooo!"

Jack just laughed more, still tickling her and still ADORING her reactions to it all. "Alright, I'll stop...but I want a small token of your 'surrender' in exchange..." He smiled more to himself.

"W-What...hee hee...is it...hee hee?" Sally managed between giggles and laughs.

"Well...I don't think a kiss would be too much to ask...do you?" Jack asked innocently enough, still giving tiny tickles to her seams, by now having moved up to her shoulders and neck.

"...No...not at all..." Sally managed in a shaky voice as she panted breathlessly.

"Splendid..." Jack announced warmly, and then he let his tickles cease, now just gazing over her on the ground, gazing deeply into her eyes in anticipation.

"Fantastic..." Sally managed to rise up into a sitting position, then took hold of his shoulders and gently touched her lips to his.

Jack's eye sockets flew open for a moment in surprise at her very sudden kiss, but then they instantly closed and he wrapped his arms around her and held her as closely as he could. "Mm...mmmm..." He moaned a little, just for the sake of doing it.

A sigh escaped through Sally's nose, as she rose to her knees to reach a bit higher, this time bringing her arms around his neck. While the strange, burning tree did still haunt her mind, at least now she had a little escape for a bit longer...

The only 'burning' thing on Jack's mind, meanwhile, were his bones all but searing with heat. He began to lean her back a little in his grasp, feeling all of his will starting to bend only towards her. And how could she not think she was tempting? He couldn't kiss her without barley being able to stop-if that wasn't tempting then what was?

"Mmmm...!" A dreamy sigh that melted into a moan emitted from the back of her throat. Despite the cool air all around them, it seemed to vanish within the warmth and heat between them.

Jack pressed his fingers against her back, savoring the feeling of her soft cloth lips against the mouth of his skull. He knew they needed to stop so that she could get back home...but he wanted to linger with her so very badly...He felt them almost ready to collapse to the ground upon one another at this point, he was leaning her back at such a severe angle.

Sally felt herself slip a bit, which startled her a little and she pulled back a little, managing to right herself a bit as she clutched to his neck. "Oh my..."

"O-Oh my...indeed..." escaped Jack in a shuddery breath the instant those words had left her lips. He just looked down at her, panting in happiness. "I...I have to take you back...But I wish we could just stay here together forever...But I promise we'll...we'll still be together sometimes once we go back...I promise, Sally."

"...Right, of course..." Sally nodded, feeling a sense of dread course through her. But then again, she felt better about it, knowing he'd be there on the other side... "I'll...I'll see if there's some way I can leave the lab without sneaking around and drugging the doctor, too..."

Jack nodded. "And I'll...I'll visit at the doctor more often...a-and make a special point of seeing you when I'm there..." He winked down at her. "And if you do ever find yourself out at night with nowhere to go...you can always come to me...It's nice waking up with a lady in the house..." He chuckled.

Beaming, Sally hugged him happily. "I'd love that very much, Jack..."

Jack sighed and hugged her back. "I'd love it too, Sally..." For a moment the two lingered like this and then finally Jack let out a breath and stood up, and gently pulled her up as well. "Come along, my darling...We have to go for now but we can always return later..." He winked at her.

"Sure...it's a...it's a date..." Sally smiled more, taking his hand.

Jack's grin picked up on one said quite happily. "Um...y-yes...It's a date. We...have a date." He smiled even more at the idea as he began to pull her along.

"We do...? Oh, I suppose we do." Sally giggled, leaning against him and exhaling. _Now I just wonder how I'm going to explain to the doctor that I'm with Jack now..._

Jack snuggled a little into her too. "It'll all work out, Sally...We'll just ease into things...and we'll be okay..." He squeezed her hand. "It's a new day, after all..."

"...You're right...we will. It's a new day...and tomorrow, it'll start all over again..." She squeezed his hand back. "We'll make it..."

Jack nodded. "We'll be wonderful together...my love..."

They walked out of the graveyard gate, just quiet and happy together as they prepared to return to the real world...In love and ready to keep things that way...forever.


End file.
